"Ideal situation" - NFL insider feels a Jim Harbaugh-Bears reunion is very much in the cards
Should the Chicago Bears decide to part ways with head coach Matt Nagy, one name in the mix to replace him is current Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh.
If Jim Harbaugh is the next bears head coach, the OC hire better be out of this world
Bruce Feldman, the National College Football insider at the Athletic, said this on The Rich Eisen Show:
'There's a franchise that he knows very well, that he has some, from what I'm told, some really positive feelings towards people there. And that's in Chicago with the Bears... If he really wants to go back to the NFL, this might be ideal."
The connection between him and the Bears is that he was drafted by the team in the first round of the 1987 NFL Draft. He started 65 games for Chicago in his seven seasons (1987-1993), leading them to the playoffs in 1991.
If Jim Harbaugh wants to return to the NFL, then the #Bears need to do whatever it takes to make sure he's their next head coach. A former first-round pick of the team, he's said Mike Ditka is his mentor, he's got the personality and, uh, the resume to thrive in Chicago.
Harbaugh and his first NFL head coaching stint
Harbaugh left Stanford University to become the 17th head coach of the San Francisco 49ers in January 2011, signing a five-year, $25 million deal.
In his first year on an NFL sideline as a head coach, the 49ers had a record of 13-3, winning the NFC West.
They lost to the New York Giants in the NFC Championship game by a score of 20-17 in overtime at home that season.
In year two, San Francisco won the division for the second consecutive year with an 11-4-1 record. This time, he reached the Super Bowl after the 49ers defeated the Atlanta Falcons on the road in the NFC Championship game with a score of 28-24.
Jim faced his brother John Harbaugh and the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII (47) at the Mercedes-Benz Dome.
In the end, Jim lost to his younger brother 34-31 in the first Super Bowl to feature a pair of brothers as head coach of each team.
In year three, the 49ers finished second in the NFC West with a 12-4 record to the 13-3 record of the Seattle Seahawks. San Francisco lost in the NFC Championship game to the Seahawks 23-17.
In 2014, Jim went 8-8 as the 49ers finished third in the division and was subsequently let go after four years. He finished with a regular-season record of 44-19-1 and a playoff record of 5-3.
His eight playoff games are the third most in franchise history behind George Seifert (15) and Hall of Fame head coach Bill Walsh (14).
Would he leave Michigan, where he has a record of 61-24 in seven seasons, for one more shot in the NFL?
Time will tell, but it won’t be surprising if we do see him back on the NFL sideline.
Doug Karsch on @DougAndGator971, quoting a source on the Jim Harbaugh rumors:" Jim is not going to leave because he's not getting enough money from Michigan. Jim wants support for him and his staff, and Michigan has the resources."