Jim Harbaugh is scheduled to start his most recent NFL job hunt today.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Michigan coach will have his first interview of the current NFL job cycle on Monday with the Los Angeles Chargers.
According to Schefter, who cites anonymous league sources, neither side is expected to make a decision soon, and 60-year-old Harbaugh intends to take his time considering his options.
After firing general manager Tom Telesco and head coach Brandon Staley on December 15, the Chargers are still in the early stages of their hiring process. Since then, seven coordinators—including former Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier and Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator (and former Michigan coordinator) Mike Macdonald—have been interviewed for the position.
In recent weeks, Harbaugh has avoided answering concerns regarding his future at Michigan and engaged renowned NFL agent Don Yee, which has led some to speculate that this could be the year he returns to the NFL. During the football team’s celebration of their national championship on Saturday night, in front of a packed Crisler Centre, Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said, “I promise you that I’m working on getting this man a new contract.” He was pointing to Harbaugh.
The Michigan coach recently began the third year of a five-year contract that guaranteed him almost $8 million in salary annually, with further bonuses potentially available. The buyout amount for Harbaugh fell to just $1.5 million last week.
Harbaugh has been involved in NFL negotiations for the third straight offseason with the Chargers interview scheduled. After the 2021 season, he had an interview with the Minnesota Vikings and met with the ownership of the Denver Broncos last year. Following the Vikings interview, he said in the open that he still wanted to win a Super Bowl.
From 2011 to 2014, Harbaugh led the San Francisco 49ers to three NFC championship games and Super Bowl XLVII. He compiled a 44-19-1 record throughout his tenure. After leaving the 49ers, he took a job as head coach at Michigan, his alma mater. In nine seasons there, he is 86-25, with three Big Ten titles under his belt, three trips to the College Football Playoffs, and most recently, a victory over Washington for the national championship.
“Either people want to look at the past or look at the future,” Harbaugh remarked last week after Michigan’s title win. “Definitely going to just enjoy this. This was one of those nights last night when everything felt so good.
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