Jim Harbaugh remains in Michigan, a decision he personally gave the school president to end another round of speculation that he would return to the NFL.
“I just got off the phone with Coach Harbaugh and Jim shared the great news that he will remain the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines,” University of Michigan President Santa Ono Shared on social media Monday. “This is fantastic news to share with our sporting director, Warde Manuel.”
A minute later, Michigan Football shared a statement by Harbaugh on twitter.
“My heart goes to the University of Michigan,” Harbaugh’s statement read in the post. “I once heard a wise man say, ‘Don’t try to be happy, happy.'”
Harbaugh and the school have not agreed on a contract extension, but both sides want to work on a new deal this week, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity as details of the negotiations were not disclosed.
The Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers spoke to Harbaugh this month about their head coaching opportunities, and he was mentioned as a potential candidate for the Indianapolis Colts, one of four teams he played quarterback for in the league from 1987-2000 after winning a Star for the was wolverines.
On Signing Day last year Harbaugh interviewed the Minnesota Vikings before instead targeting Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell for the job posting.
Harbaugh has been tied to many other NFL jobs during most offseasons since returning to his alma mater in 2015 to manage the football team.
After years of failing to beat rival Ohio State, he has helped Michigan beat the Buckeyes and win the Big Ten title back-to-back years.
However, the Wolverines missed out on winning their first national championship since 1997, losing in the semifinals of the College Football Playoffs TCU and Georgia.
Harbaugh seems poised for more success, at least in the conference, as All-America running back Blake Corum returns to a backfield with running back Donovan Edwards and quarterback JJ McCarthy.
Harbaugh, the 2011 AP NFL Coach of the Year and AP College Coach of the Year a decade later, seemed intrigued by the league’s allure this winter as well.
He coached the San Francisco 49ers from 2011-14, winning two NFC West titles and making the NFC championship game three times in four seasons. He was 44-19-1 during that span and a decade ago helped the 49ers reach the Super Bowl where they lost by three points to the Baltimore Ravens led by his brother John.
Jim Harbaugh left the 49ers to turn Michigan over after an 8-8 run in 2014 — the only season the 49ers didn’t make it into the postseason under him.
Harbaugh, 59, has a 74-25 record in eight seasons with the Wolverines, who were 13-0 that season before being beaten by the Horned Frogs in a sloppy game. Harbaugh also spent four seasons as head coach at Stanford and three more at San Diego.
As he enters his ninth year in Michigan, he seems to have one to contend with NCAA investigation regarding possible rule violations.
The investigation is believed to involve improper texts and calls — including some from Harbaugh — to high school prospects during part of a pandemic-related death period for contact with potential recruits, a person with knowledge of the situation told the AP.
The NCAA was also looking into whether a member of the Michigan off-field football team broke the rules by practicing on the field during practice, and whether Harbaugh spoke up, the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity, since Michigan officials did not make details of the investigation public.
___
AP College Football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/ap_top25 Sign up for the AP Top 25 newsletter here: https://link.apnews.com/join /6nr /morning-wire-newsletter-footer-internal-ads
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, transcribed or redistributed without permission.
