With the recent excitement around Michigan’s 27-year-long championship drought, it begs the question about Michigan going forward as a contending national championship program. With the recent allegations of low-ranking staff members showing up to opponent’s games and stealing signs and the backlash that Jim Harbaugh and his coaching staff have received this year, you wonder where his future will be.
Going into the 2024 NFL season, there are six current open head coaching jobs as of Jan. 8: The Titans, Falcons, Panthers, Raiders, Chargers, and the Commanders. Of course, the goal for most football coaches is to end up in the NFL and be able to make a living out of it. With the fire and pressure Harbaugh is under right now even though he’s coached the Wolverines for nine years, I think it would be in his best interest to apply for one of the NFL coaching positions. The sooner he gets out of Michigan the better. Considering the alternative – going and coaching at the highest level possible to the best talent possible – Harbaugh is lucky to even get an opportunity to move forward in his coaching career. The alternative would be going back to a team with even more hate than when the allegations first arose, and then having to come back from such a strong undefeated season. A thing like moving back to this level wouldn’t be something completely unfamiliar either.
From 2011-2014, Harbaugh led the 49ers to three seasons above .500, two NFC West titles, and a Super Bowl appearance against his own brother in Super Bowl XLVII. To say that he could go back and repeat this again doesn’t even sound that crazy of an idea. Sure, college football is a somewhat different game compared to its big brother, the NFL, but the key aspects of the game stay the same. With how much the NFL has evolved since 2011, I think it would be a rocky first two seasons for Harbaugh. But if he could land himself on a team like the Raiders, I could see him turning them into a playoff-contending team year in and year out.
Of course, this is all speculation about where he will end up next year, and my guess would still be with Michigan contending for a national championship. But for Harbaugh to spend the few years he has left as a coach stress-free, I think the NFL would suit him the best.
