What they're saying nationally about Jim Harbaugh rumors

The Michigan football community is on Jim Harbaugh watch (again). There have been Harbaugh to the NFL rumors before, but they never had legs, and he’s shot them down on multiple occasions.

If he stays at Michigan, Harbaugh will likely receive a (well-deserved) pay raise after winning the Big Ten title and leading the Maize and Blue to their first-ever College Football Playoff appearance. At the same time, NFL teams — including the Las Vegas Raiders, where he began his coaching career, and the Chicago Bears, where he started his professional playing career — have interest in his services.

TheWolverine.com’s Chris Balas has provided multiple updates and continues to keep Michigan fans in the loop (click here for the latest).

There are also several national pundits weighing in on the prospect of Harbaugh going pro or stayin ghome. We’ve rounded up some of the most interesting chatter below.

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Maurice Moton, Bleacher Report: Jim Harbaugh Is the Coach Who Can Fix the Las Vegas Raiders

During his stint with the 49ers, Harbaugh put together a quality coaching staff that included play-callers Greg Roman, who’s fielded seven top-12 scoring offenses in nine seasons, and Vic Fangio, one of the league’s best defensive-minded coaches with four top-10 scoring units over the past five terms.

Harbaugh isn’t afraid to make tough roster decisions either. As the head coach of the 49ers, he benched quarterback Alex Smith, whom the club selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 draft, for Colin Kaepernick. In that year (2012), San Francisco advanced to the Super Bowl.

After an 8-8 campaign in San Francisco, Harbaugh went to Michigan and elevated the proud program from mediocrity to double-digit wins in four out of six years minus the COVID-19-shortened campaign in 2020.

In 2021, the Wolverines won their first conference title since 2004 and beat Ohio State, which dominated the Big Ten for nearly two decades.

With a no-nonsense approach, Harbaugh has shown he can surround himself with brilliant football minds to optimize talent across the roster. The 58-year-old has the ideal personality for a Raiders squad that has younger guys in key positions and had some off-field issues this season.

Furthermore, the Raiders have made some disastrous draft picks, struggling to develop players within their schemes.

Over the past three drafts, Vegas has missed the mark on multiple early-round picks, including defensive end Clelin Ferrell, safety Johnathan Abram, cornerback Damon Arnette, wide receiver Lynn Bowden Jr. and linebacker Tanner Muse. Meanwhile, rookie first-rounder Alex Leatherwood has had a rough season, moving from tackle to guard. He’s allowed eight sacks and committed 14 penalties, per Pro Football Focus.

Despite the Raiders’ draft whiffs, Harbaugh can work with a team on the cusp of a playoff breakthrough. In his first NFL coaching stint, he didn’t have full control over the roster, so Davis can pair him with general manager Mike Mayock to revamp weak areas on the depth chart.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport On NFL Gameday

Jim Harbaugh has emerged as a name to watch in the NFL coaching searches. Yes, I know he’s under contract with Michigan and it does seem there’s been some discussions about a potential new deal with Michigan. But from what I understand, talking to several sources informed of the situation, the Las Vegas Raiders — who still have a head coach and still have a chance at the playoffs — are expected to have some interest in Harbaugh. Harbaugh is expected to have some interest in the Raiders.

Now, they’re also set to do a real search, not an anointing like they did last time with Jon Gruden, so we’ll see where this search takes them. But at the least, there is enough interest on both sides to make us think this is at least somewhat real, though as one source — who’s very well-informed of this — told me last night, Harbaugh loves to be courted. So we’ll see where this goes.

Bruce Feldman Of The Athletic Appearing On The Rich Eisen Show

If he really wants to go back to the NFL, this might be an ideal situation.

In addition, there’s another 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.

I don’t think you know this is this is really a money situation. As much as it is, is the timing ideal? And that’s something else. I mean, you talk to anybody who has coached in college and in the NFL, and they will talk about what a grind being a college coach is because at least in the NFL, you have an off-season.

Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt Appearing On ‘The Herd’

Listen, I thought that he was happier this year than he has been at any point in time in which I’ve covered him at Michigan. From my standpoint, I think a lot of that had to do with the staff that he hired. Remember, he got a lot younger. Hired a lot of new staff, a lot younger. In fact, he was the only one that was over 45 years of age on that staff.”

He believes in what they’re doing and I don’t think he’s driven by money. But I do know that he’s driven by competition and he’s driven by trying to go out there and take on, I don’t want to say a project, but some level of competition that’s a little bit different. It interests him. I wouldn’t be shocked, but I would be a little surprised if he leaves. And the main reason is because I think his family is settled. I think he settled, I think he found a nice niche.

They’re recruiting at a high level, but do you want to continue to be evaluated against Ohio State when they’re recruiting at a higher level? Listen, for the foreseeable future, if Michigan is to beat Ohio State, it will remain an upset because of the way that they’re recruiting. That is not a knock, that’s just the facts of the matter. So do you want to put yourself in that position if you’re Jim Harbaugh that remains to be seen.

I will say this. Regardless, someone is getting a great coach. Obviously, Michigan knows what he’s been able to do. If he leaves, he will succeed. Mark my words. He will succeed. He has succeeded everywhere that he’s been immediately. So if he does jump, watch out. Because wherever he goes, they’ll probably start winning right away.

Dan Wetzel, Yahoo Sports: Here’s why it’s believable that Jim Harbaugh would leave Michigan for return to NFL

There aren’t a lot of Super Bowl coaches out on the market. And since the NFL is a season-to-season, week-to-week proposition, worries about how long a franchise can handle Harbaugh don’t matter so much.

Can he win now? Yeah, probably.

Will he go? Harbaugh spoke of how this season, particularly the win over Ohio State, felt like “a new beginning” and “the start of something.” He revamped his staff last offseason to include younger assistants and improve recruiting.

The program has energy, a lot of young talent, plus a five-star quarterback, Dante Moore, just down the road in Detroit, who could represent a transformative recruiting victory in the Class of 2023.

There are plenty of reasons to stay put. But seven years is seven years and Jim Harbaugh has never been one to stay anywhere too long, whether the choice is his or someone else’s.

If he wants another crack at the NFL, it’ll probably be there. He did what he promised to do in Ann Arbor. Maybe he’ll want to do more. Or maybe he’ll be gone, again, seeking another new challenge.

ESPN’s Paul Finebaum On If Harbaugh Should Leave Michigan For NFL

I don’t even think it’s a close call. A year ago he got called in and his salary was cut in half. And he proved everyone wrong. But the problem is still going to be the same for Jim Harbaugh: He has to deal with Ryan Day and Ohio State. And while they won this year, I don’t think he can make a living depending on that.

He was a very good NFL coach, let’s not forget Jim Harbaugh took the 49ers to two straight NFC championship games. He went to the Super Bowl losing to his brother. And I think he can do it again. I think he’s a better NFL coach than he is in college. And, Jim, if you’re listening: take a job, get out of [Michigan]. Whether it’s the Raiders, the Bears, or someone else, I think it’s time for you to go back to the NFL where you belong.