“A guy who comes in, shakes things up” – Colin Kaepernick’s former head coach linked with Russell Wilson salvation job in Denver
Not many expected Russell Wilson to be coachless before the end of the season, but that's where the Denver Broncos are in the shadow of the New Year. After Nathaniel Hackett's ousting, pundits and fans are doing their research and attempting to find the best coach to fix the team.
In a piece posted on Sports Illustrated's website, NFL analyst Albert Breer looked at how well head coach Jim Harbaugh would fit the Denver Broncos. Put simply, he liked the idea in the short term. He mentioned that "the more you think about it, the more it makes sense." Especially considering Harbaugh's successes everywhere he's coached.
Breer touched on Harbaugh's toughness as a coach, seeing that as a prerequisite for working with Russell Wilson in Denver. He also remarked on his experience in the NFC West with the San Francisco 49ers.
To fix Russ
Simply put
Need a coach to build everything around an offense that is “out of the pocket” based rather than “in the pocket based”
Breer continued, painting Harbaugh as a modern-day reincarnation of a legendary coach from decades past. He sees him as:
"A guy who comes in, shakes things up, gets results fast and then, in time, winds up gone before people thought he’d be."
How would adding Jim Harbaugh change the Broncos' prospects in 2023?
Jim Harbaugh coached the 49ers while Russell Wilson was with the Seahawks
Many head coaches spend years and sometimes decades as coordinators before getting their first head coaching job in the NFL. However, Jim Harbaugh only spent two years as a quarterbacks coach with the Oakland Raiders before getting his first NFL head coaching job. He had, however, spent about 15 total seasons in college as an assistant coach and head coach before moving to the NFL.
Wouldn’t it be something to see Jim Harbaugh coach the Denver Broncos with Russell Wilson at QB and turn them into a contender that faces off against the Chiefs in an AFC championship game at Arrowhead stadium
Harbaugh was the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers for only four seasons, but the team played very well for that period. They were as good as some of the best Russell Wilson-led Seattle Seahawks teams of the era.
Between 2011-2014, the 49ers didn't have a losing season. They also reached a Super Bowl and two NFC championship matches, effectively beating Wilson at his own game at times.
In the periods before and after Harbaugh, the 49ers didn't come close to the same level of production. In the five seasons before he joined them, their best record was 8-8 in 2009. Four years after he left, their best campaign was 6-10 and well short of what Russell Wilson was achieving with the Seahawks at the time.
Broncos fans are hoping for a veteran to join the coaching ranks after three rookie head coaches in a row. Will they get their wish?