Paul Finebaum believes Jim Harbaugh is set to leave Michigan

For now the college football coaching carousel is at a standstill, with all of the Power Five positions currently filled. Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh could change that.

Harbaugh has been interviewing for NFL jobs the past week or so and could be looking to bolt back to the professional ranks to take his crack at winning a Super Bowl. He’s fresh off a national title at Michigan, having won at the highest level in the college game.

“I suspect it ends pretty quickly with whatever other job he wants to interview for,” ESPN’s Paul Finebaum said. “I don’t understand how the NFL does it. It’s very bizarre. Because of the Rooney Rule they acknowledge who they interview. This isn’t double secret. Either he needs to come or go. I can’t imagine why he would stay.”

Jim Harbaugh has spent the last nine years at Michigan, though he’s really kicked things into gear over the course of the last three seasons.

After winning exactly 10 games three times in his first six seasons, Harbaugh has won at least 12 games in each of the last three seasons. Each season carried with it a College Football Playoff appearance.

If Harbaugh is going to remain at Michigan, he reportedly wants some changes in his contract.

“If he’s trying to argue a clause in his contract that would make him immune from any NCAA violations, that’s a non-starter,” Finebaum said. “You can’t do that. So I think he’s on his way out. Then it’s whether (Sherrone) Moore gets moved up or they open that search.”

In the event Jim Harbaugh does leave, though, where exactly will Michigan stand? On the one hand, the coaching carousel has already settled for this cycle, so many good coaches and assistants have already moved around. On the flip side, you don’t really have to worry about scrambling together a recruiting or transfer portal class at the last second, with most of that activity already out of the way too.

“I think Michigan’s in pretty good shape,” Finebaum said. “I think the biggest upset to me would be for Jim to stay, because I think everybody has already discounted the fact that he’s leaving. I think it’s an NFL story more than a Michigan story.”

For Finebaum, the time is right for Harbaugh to once again make the leap to the NFL. He was successful the last time he was there, in San Fransisco, even if things ultimately ended poorly.

Harbaugh has accomplished quite a bit at the college level. Finebaum’s anticipating Jim Harbaugh in the pros next year.

“I think sometimes, Matt, you just have to move on,” the ESPN host said. “Five years ago I would have just kept going, as you know. I would have been on the couch and you would have been trying to get me Paulie Positive.

“I came away respecting what Harbaugh did on the field, and I’m just so over everything that happens off the field in today’s world. I mean we’re talking about whether Nick Saban can help out to buy players, to give them enough players that he promised to keep them to stay, and I’m going to get upset about something the NCAA is looking into that most of us don’t even understand what it’s about? No, I’m moving on.”