Jim Harbaugh to Michigan all but done
By Joel Greer
Although the contract might not be signed, most sources believe Jim Harbaugh will become Michigan’s 19th football coach by Tuesday at the latest.
Harbaugh just finished coaching his final game for the 49ers, a 20-17 win over Arizona this evening (Dec, 28).
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The win gave Harbaugh three seasons with at least 11 wins and a fourth with eight. Regardless. Harbaugh fell into disfavor with the 49ers during the season, and the two parties mutually severed ties today.
Most sought-after
Harbaugh is possibly Michigan’s most sought-after coach in its long and proud history.
It was only a few seasons ago that Harbaugh lost to his brother John (who was coaching the Baltimore Ravens), 34-31 in Super Bowl XLVII.
The Michigan job became available when head coach Brady Hoke was fired after a disappointing 5-7 season, a failure to be competitive with Michigan State and Ohio State, and a failure to compete for a Big Ten title.
Raiders?
Harbaugh, who would sign a contract in the neighborhood of $48 million for six years, was also considered by no less than four NFL teams.
“There will be announcements made concerning those things,” Harbaugh said in his postgame press conference. Should the University of Michigan plane leave Monday with the Harbaugh family on board, we’ll all know the answer.
This is the third coaching search for Michigan since 2007 when Lloyd Carr retired. Neither Rich Rodriguez nor Hoke could get the job done.
Before Carr retired, Michigan’s program was among the nation’s elite since 1969, when Bo Schembechler was hired from Miami (Ohio). The next two coaches (Gary Moeller and Carr) were hired from within, so coaching searches were out of the question.
The Band?
Too many events would have to go amiss for Harbaugh to change his mind.
According to Chris Balas of rivals.com, Harbaugh will be introduced at Tuesday’s Michigan-Illinois basketball game.
Cheapest ticket for U-M vs. Illinois Tues. is now $124. And oh - the marching band has been called back early from break to be on campus.
— Chris Balas (@Balas_Wolverine) December 28, 2014
Fox Sports Bruce Feldman reports that Harbaugh’s family will be flying to Ann Arbor Monday. In fact, Fox ran a crawl in its Detroit-Green Bay NFL telecast that Harbaugh was going to Michigan.