Michigan had a dominant defensive performance to get a win vs. Iowa and this win should have the eyes of the NFL back on Jim Harbaugh.
There should be about a half-dozen or so head coach openings in the NFL by the end of the year. Could one be filled by Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh?
The hot seat talk about Harbaugh picked up steam a couple of weeks ago after Michigan was humbled by Wisconsin to ignite the same refrain about Harbaugh and Michigan needing a divorce. Michigan would be so much worse off without Harbaugh, even if some die-hard Wolverines fans are ready for a change for the sake of change. I understand that belief because Harbaugh has yet to beat Ohio State and that’s really the only measure of a Michigan football head coach.
However, if Michigan falls to Ohio State again this year and the Wolverines finish with another third-place finish in the Big Ten East, could Harbaugh leave on his own accord?
That is something worth monitoring. We all know about Harbaugh’s past where he had the tendency to burn hot and staying in one place for a long time can burn the players. We saw it take place with the San Francisco 49ers. We didn’t really see it at San Diego or Stanford, however, and I don’t think he’s doing it at Michigan.
The players and coaches can change but the fans stay the same. If anyone is feeling burnout, it could be them. And, again, I understand their frustration with only winning 10 games a year, which Harbaugh has done three out of four seasons in Ann Arbor.
Let’s consider the fact that perhaps Harbaugh is getting burned out with the constant talk about his job status at his alma mater where he is seemingly happy and living a great life with his family.
Could Harbaugh leave Michigan before Michigan leaves him?
I think Michigan would be wise to keep Harbaugh as long as they can keep him happy. Keeping him happy is what they’ve done by making him one of the highest-paid coaches in college football with an annual salary north of $7.5 million.
Any NFL team willing to pursue Harbaugh for their head coach opening would start the bidding at $10 million per year and dangle the potential of controlling personnel. That’s an attractive offer for Harbaugh who could look at the Miami Dolphins as a possible landing spot.
Miami has long been rumored as a destination for Harbaugh because of owner Stephen Ross’ ties to Michigan. The Dolphins will have a bounty of draft picks, including the potential No. 1 pick. The lure of drafting Tua Tagovailoa could be enticing enough for Harbaugh to leave his home and alma mater for South Beach.
LeBron James did it before.
Maybe Harbaugh will be next.
If not Miami, what about Washington where he could replace the yet-to-be-fired Jay Gruden in D.C.? He would inherit former Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins who he saw first-hand deliver a beating against his team. The added perk with this move would be working nearby his brother Jay Harbaugh who is in Baltimore as the coach of the Ravens. Remember when the two met in the Super Bowl? That was a really cool moment. Just imagine how often they could see each other working within driving distance of each other.
And if not Miami or D.C., what about Denver, New York, Carolina or Atlanta?
Depending on what happens the rest of the way for Michigan, Harbaugh will have options in the NFL should he choose to pursue them. At which point, Michigan fans who were so eager to kick him out of town could soon remember the grass isn’t always greener.
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