NFL Rumors: 3 teams that should dump their head coach for Jim Harbaugh
By Lior Lampert
Last night, the Michigan Wolverines were crowned as outright national champions for the first time since 1948 after dominantly defeating the Washington Huskies. The 34-13 victory in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game wrapped up what was a historic yet controversial year for the Wolverines. Head coach Jim Harbaugh’s sense of relief and fulfillment was easy to see through the television screen after the win, which leads many to wonder if he is prepared to go through another taxing season of headlines and controversy in college football.
In the midst of what was a perfect 15-0 season for the Wolverines, Harbaugh faced a multi-game suspension for his alleged involvement in a sign-stealing scandal. Along the way, there have been plenty of layers added to the story that became the sign-stealing scandal with Harbaugh and the Wolverines enduring plenty of criticism.
After climbing the highest mountain top and leading his alma mater to win a National Championship, what more does Harbaugh have to accomplish in college football? Whatever it is, will it be worth continuing to deal with naysayers who reference the sign-stealing scandal? If not, could Harbaugh return to the NFL in hopes of making another Super Bowl appearance and winning it this time around?
Should Harbaugh make himself available to the NFL, several teams will express interest in hiring him. Franchises that currently have a coach in place should be quick to dump them in pursuit of Harbaugh, with these three teams in particular.
3. New Orleans Saints
Despite it being made clear by backup quarterback Jameis Winston that head coach Dennis Allen has lost control of the locker room, it seems as though he will be back at the helm in 2024. The Saints missed out on the playoffs despite posting a 9-8 record this season but their record does not tell the full story. It was a whirlwind of a campaign for the Saints, who started the season 2-0, before falling to 5-7 and finishing strong by winning four of their last five games to go 9-8.
2023 represented Allen’s first winning season as an NFL head coach in five years. For his career, Allen has a 24-46 win-loss record, a less than encouraging track record. Conversely, Harbaugh had a .500 record or better in all four seasons as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers from 2011-15, posting a 44-19 record in that span.
While the Saints are in salary cap hell, there is no denying that their roster is loaded with talent on both sides of the ball. When healthy, they boast one of the best offensive skill position groups in the NFL between the likes of Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave, Michael Thomas, and Rashid Shaheed.
Defensively, Harbaugh would get to work with a Saints defense that is among the best in the NFL and filled with talented players on all three levels of the field such as Cameron Jordan, Demario Davis, Pete Werner, Tyrann Mathieu, and Marshon Lattimore (if he’s back for 2024).
Most importantly, the Saints have their quarterback in place in the form of Derek Carr. While Carr may not be an elite-level signal-caller, he has proven to be both capable and reliable throughout his career.
The Saints should have no problem showing Allen the door if Harbaugh is made available to them.