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Report: Denver Broncos reach out to Jim Harbaugh about coaching vacancy

Chris Balasby:Chris Balas•01/01/23•

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Jim Harbaugh Michigan
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh is being courted by NFL teams. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh interviewed last year with the Minnesota Vikings and was on the brink of returning to the NFL. Not surprisingly, he’s in even higher demand this year after leading Michigan to a second straight Big Ten title and consecutive wins over Ohio State to make the College Football Playoff.

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There have only been rumors of interest in Harbaugh until today. On Sunday, however, NBC Sports reported the Denver Broncos have reached out to the U-M coach about their head coach opening.

“Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the Denver Broncos have reached out to Harbaugh to inform him that they have interest in talking to him about the vacancy that emerged six days ago, with the firing of first-year coach Nathaniel Hackett,” Mike Florio reported.

Sources at Michigan informed TheWolverine.com last week they were preparing raises and extensions for several on the U-M coaching staff — including Harbaugh — as well as many in the athletic department. As it stands now, Harbaugh’s buyout is only $3 million.

The same sources also said Harbaugh is now working with an agent. That’s not to say he is actively seeking an NFL job — on the contrary, in fact. He said weeks ago he planned to be back at Michigan in 2023.

“There’s a lot of ‘that-time-of-year’ type of speculation,” Harbaugh said on a Fiesta Bowl teleconference. “No man knows the future, but I think people think we’ve done a good job and people are pleased with the job we’ve done here at Michigan. They’re going to be very happy to learn that I’ll be back, enthusiastically, coaching the Wolverines in 2023.

“And for those people who don’t approve of the job that we’ve done, or would rather see someone else coaching here, I think they’ll be most likely disappointed to learn that we’ll be back coaching the Wolverines in 2023.”

Harbaugh agreed to a 5-year, $36.7 million extension with the Wolverines last February after the NFL hiring process finished. That contract goes for $7.05 million in 2022 to $7.63 million in 2026, but he should be in line for much more at Michigan.

Harbaugh told A.D. Warde Manuel after the Vikings’ interview last year he’d be at Michigan “as long as you’ll have me.”

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