A few intriguing NFL teams will have head coaching openings once this season concludes, and there has been plenty of speculation about who may fill those vacancies. One candidate many have been talking about is Jim Harbaugh, who is currently the head coach of the University of Michigan Wolverines.
There has been lots of talk about him returning to the NFL last season, especially regarding the sign-stealing saga that led to him being suspended by the Big Ten Conference this year.
On the other hand, some are skeptical that he actually wants to leave Ann Arbor.
Andy Staples of On3 said on “The Dan Patrick Show” that he feels Harbaugh still has the “itch” to coach a pro team.
“I think he’s wanted to. I think there’s still an itch there,” Staples said. “Remember, he was a really good NFL coach.”
Harbaugh, who was once a quarterback in the NFL in the late 1980s and 1990s, took his first head coaching job in the league in 2011 with the San Francisco 49ers. At the time, the once-proud 49ers were mired in a miserable extended rut, and while they had a few promising players, and they had finished with a winning record or made the playoffs since 2002.
He instantly created a culture and identity for the floundering team, and in his first year there, they went 13-3 and came very close to reaching the Super Bowl. The following season, they got to the big game, where they narrowly lost to the Baltimore Ravens.
Unfortunately, Harbaugh had a rift with Niners executive Trent Baalke, and he ended up leaving following the 2014 season.
One team some feel he may join is the Chicago Bears, who seem to have bleak prospects with their current roster, but may end up with the top pick in April’s draft and the opportunity to draft quarterback Caleb Williams.
There are also rumors that Jim Harbaugh may choose the Los Angeles Chargers, a team that has had plenty of talent on paper the last couple of seasons but has fallen well short of expectations. In fact, rumor has it Harbaugh has already had discussions with the Chargers.
If he wants to go pro again, plenty of teams will surely be clamoring for his services.
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