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Jim Harbaugh was ‘forced out’ of job by San Francisco 49ers

By Josh Hill

Jim Harbaugh speaks to the media as he is introduced as the new head football coach of the Michigan Wolverines at Jonge Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Jim Harbaugh speaks to the media as he is introduced as the new head football coach of the Michigan Wolverines at Jonge Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /
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The San Francisco 49ers mutually parted ways with head coach Jim Harbaugh, but it’s becoming more and more apparent that he was pushed out of his job. 

When the NFL season ended, the first head coach out the door was probably the best among the bunch to have lost their job. The San Francisco 49ers wasted no time in jettisoning Jim Harbaugh, despite three straight NFC Championship Game appearances and a Super Bowl berth just a year ago in 2013.

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In a whirlwind week, Harbaugh is now the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines, and fans are wondering just what the hell happened from Sunday afternoon to Tuesday morning.

In an interview with Michael Rosenberg, the 49ers head coach isn’t quoted as saying the 49ers and Jed York forced him out of his job, but it’s heavily implied that it was stated off the record.

"He leaves a situation in San Francisco that got needlessly ugly, with the owner, Jed York, ultimately forcing him out.He leaves a situation in San Francisco that got needlessly ugly, with the owner, Jed York, ultimately forcing him out."

In addition to that, when Rosenberg suggests to Harbaugh that going back to Michigan was done so that he was leaving a volatile situation where he had no backup from management, Harbaugh didn’t deny that.

"I floated this theory to Harbaugh: When you are painted as something you’re not, you want to go where people know who you are.“There is probably something there,” he said."

It’s the world’s worst kept secret that Jed York and the San Francisco 49ers forced Jim Harbaugh out of a job this season. There were reports and rumors of turmoil as far back as the offseason as this writing is nothing new on the wall. Harbaugh still won’t go on record as saying he was forced out and isn’t kissing and telling about just how nasty the relationship was, but it clearly was not a healthy situation.

Now that he’s in Michigan, Harbaugh has a clean slate and management that want him there more than anyone else did. After his situation in San Francisco, the element of being wanted and desired as badly as Harbaugh was by Michigan more than likely played a key role in his wanting to return to his alma mater in the first place.

We may never know what happened with the 49ers until Jeff Perlman inevitably writes a book about it, but the sentiment that Harbaugh was forced out continues to be confirmed, if not directly stated by those involved.

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