Could Jim Harbaugh still make a return to the NFL as HC?
After failing to land a head-coaching gig in the NFL this offseason, Michigan's Jim Harbaugh will be returning to the Michigan Wolverines this season.
The former San Francicso 49ers head coach looked to make a comeback to the NFL this season and even had some interest in a few teams that were thinking about hiring him as their next head coach.
Towards the end of the season, there were rumors that Harbaugh was a candidate to be the Las Vegas Raiders' next head coach. The two had connections with one another as owner Mark Davis had pursued Harbaugh back in 2015 to no avail.
But Harbaugh displayed interest this offseason. Shortly after the offseason began and the process of searching and interviewing head coaches started, the Raiders owner seemed focused on Josh McDaniels at the time and Harbaugh wasn't considered after.
The Minnesota Vikings, however, are seriously interested in Harbaugh. The Vikings flew Harbaugh in for an interview, but they ultimately chose to hire Rams' offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell as their next head coach.
#Vikings Mark Wilf on Jim Harbaugh interview "We have tremendous respect for (him)... We had wonderful experiences conversing... Ultimately we wanted to have a coach that would be the best fit, give us the best chance to win, and we feel very pleased with Kevin as our head coach"
After not landing a gig, Harbaugh stated that the Vikings interview was a one-time thing, and that he's done chasing NFL jobs. He called Michigan's athletic director asking if they would still welcome him back despite searching for a job in the league. And Michigan did welcome him back with open arms.
“I called Warde [Manuel, the Michigan athletic director] and I asked him if he wanted me to be the head coach. And he said, ‘Yes, 100 percent.’ And I said, OK then. That’s what I want to do.’ And I told him, ‘Warde, this will not be a reoccurring theme every year. This was a one-time thing," said Harbaugh about returning back to Michigan.
Jim Harbaugh signs five-year extension with Michigan after not returning to NFL
After being unable to land one of the vacant NFL head-coaching positions this offseason, Harbaugh shifted his complete focus to next season with Michigan. He signed a new five-year extension with Michigan this week that includes a base salary of over $7 million in 2022.
According to NFL.com, Harbaugh would owe the university just $3 million if he left in the first year of his contract. If he left in his seocnd year, he would owe just $2.25 million in 2023, $1.5 million in 2024, and just $750,000 in 2025.
Realistically speaking, Harbaugh could make a return back to the National Football League if he wants, as it wouldn't cost him much.