Would Jim Harbaugh be a fit for the Jacksonville Jaguars?
The Jacksonville Jaguars are on the hunt for a new head coach, and a high-profile name has grabbed recent headlines: Jim Harbaugh.
Although under contract with the Michigan Wolverines until 2025, Harbaugh might be tempted to make a return to the NFL, according to a report in The Athletic from FOX Sports college football reporter Bruce Feldman.
Harbaugh signed that extension in January 2021, then guided the Wolverines to an 11-1 regular-season record and a blowout victory in the Big Ten Championship Game.
Ranked No. 2 in the College Football Playoff, Michigan's season ended on New Year's Eve in a CFP semifinal loss to No. 3 Georgia, giving Michigan a 12-2 overall record for the season.
In his seven-year tenure so far at Michigan, Harbaugh has compiled a 61-24 record. Questions about his ability to win big games dogged him coming into this year, given his 1-4 record in bowl games and, perhaps of more importance, 0-5 record against bitter rival Ohio State.
In fact, Harbaugh was the first UM coach to start his tenure by going 0-5 against the Buckeyes, but he cracked that goose egg this season with a 42-27 win.
Hassan Haskins rushes for five touchdowns as Michigan beats Ohio State
Given the extension and recent success, why would Harbaugh entertain leaving Ann Arbor now?
"I didn't think he would leave Michigan knowing he'd never won the game that matters most there [against Ohio State], but now he's done that and won the Big Ten, it feels like the timing might be right," Feldman wrote in his report.
If Harbaugh is serious about a return to an NFL sideline, there is likely no shortage of suitors. To Colin Cowherd of "The Herd," the Jaguars would be wise to be chief among those suitors.
"He could get any NFL job that's available right now, and he should be the No. 1 choice," Cowherd said Wednesday. "I would hire him in Jacksonville tomorrow. Tomorrow. I don't care if they already had a college coach. I don't care. …. Urban [Meyer] wasn't an NFL guy. Harbaugh was."
Colin Cowherd addresses rumors of Jim Harbaugh returning to the NFL
To Cowherd's point, the reason Jacksonville has a vacancy to fill is that the team dismissed Meyer 13 games into a tumultuous first season with the Jaguars.
Meyer, a legendary coach at the collegiate level, had never experienced coaching in the NFL and was fired after putting together a 2-11 record.
Although he is at Michigan now, Harbaugh has plenty of history in the NFL, both as a player and as a coach. From 2011 to 2014, he went 44-19-1 in the regular season as the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, leading them to three postseason appearances in four years and a 2012 Super Bowl appearance.
He finished .500 or better in each of his four seasons in San Francisco, with an 8-8 record in 2014 standing as his worst finish.
One hurdle a Harbaugh-Jaguars union would have to overcome is in the front office, where Trent Baalke is currently the general manager.
Baalke held the same position during Harbaugh's tenure in San Francisco, and to say the two had a frosty relationship might be putting it delicately.
FOX Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt joined "The Herd" and agreed with Cowherd, expecting success wherever Harbaugh winds up.
"I won't be shocked, but I would be a little bit surprised if he leaves," Klatt said Tuesday. "If he leaves, he will succeed. Mark my words: He will succeed. He has succeeded everywhere he's been immediately. … So if he does jump, watch out. Because wherever he goes, they'll probably start winning right away."
Joel Klatt: 'I won't be shocked, but I would be a little surprised if Jim Harbaugh leaves Michigan'
In terms of immediate success, look no further than Harbaugh's impact on the 49ers.
In 2010, the year before the 49ers hired Harbaugh, they finished with a 6-10 record. He led them to a 13-3 record in his first season. That has been a trend wherever he goes, whether in the pros or college, as evidenced by UM's improvement from 5-7 to 10-3 in Harbaugh's first season.
Should the Jaguars pounce and pry Harbaugh away from Michigan, the big question would then become: How will he develop Trevor Lawrence?
The 2021 No. 1 overall pick has had a shaky start to his professional career, completing 58.9% of his passes for 3,418 yards, 10 touchdowns, 17 interceptions and a 2-14 record.
However, under Harbaugh, Lawrence might not be asked to do quite as much.
Harbaugh's four years with the Niners featured prolific rushing attacks, which ranked eighth, fourth, third and fourth in the league in rushing yards per game from 2011 to 2014. Currently, the Jaguars are 23rd in the league in that stat.
Could Harbaugh be the guy to help Lawrence reach his potential and give Jaguars fans some much-needed optimism? There is still a long way to go before that can be settled.
What's certain, though, is that the Jaguars need a new head coach, and they could do a lot worse than enticing Harbaugh to return to the NFL.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this story.
