Getty Image / Carmen Mandato
Michigan Head Coach Jim Harbaugh finally got his national championship that he has been chasing since his playing days for Michigan back in the 1980s. But, that could be the last game he ever coaches at Michigan, given the NFL rumors swirling around him.
Given a chance to give a full-throated denial of the rumors that he will be returning to the National Football League this offseason, Jim Harbaugh did the opposite. Instead, what he said will only had fuel to the fire of the rumors.
“I just want to enjoy this. I just want to enjoy this. I hope you give me that. Can a guy have that? Does it always have to be what’s next, what’s the future?,” Harbaugh said.
That is far from a denial. If he was definitely not going to the NFL, he could’ve easily said something along the lines of, “I love the University of Michigan, this team just proved we can accomplish anything here, I want to be the coach here for as long as they will have me.”
Instead, that sounded like someone with one foot out the door. After the year he’s had, who can blame him? Harbaugh has been suspended twice for alleged NCAA rules violations. The first suspension, which was the first three games of the season, came due to alleged recruiting violations during the COVID-19 pandemic. That suspension was self-imposed by the university to try to get ahead of a looming NCAA investigation.
The second suspension dealt with an alleged sign-stealing scandal that engulfed the college football world this season. It resulted in Harbaugh missing the final three regular season games, including against Michigan and Ohio State.
There could be more serious sanctions coming from both of those incidents. Plus, college football has changed dramatically with the transfer portal and NIL rights the last few years, and it’s now a higher stress job than coaching in the NFL for most.
The Los Angeles Chargers, Las Vegas Raiders, and Chicago Bears have been most often linked to Jim Harbaugh, who is also rumored to have an extension offer from Michigan sitting on the table as well.