Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh looks on before the start of play against Georgia in the Capital One Orange Bowl for the College Football Playoff semifinal game at Hard Rock Stadium on Dec. 31, 2021, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images/TNS)
University of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh reportedly has his sights set on an NFL return, and that in turn has led to a conservation with the Carolina Panthers.
Harbaugh recently spoke with Panthers owner David Tepper about the team’s upcoming coaching vacancy, a league source confirmed to The Charlotte Observer.
Will Kunkel of Queen City News was the first to report the chat between the two parties.
According to The Athletic, multiple sources close to Harbaugh believe he will leave Michigan for the NFL if he is offered a job. Harbaugh interviewed for the Minnesota Vikings head coach vacancy this past offseason, but he was passed over for Kevin O’Connell.
Harbaugh has coached at Michigan — his alma mater — since 2015. Prior to that, Harbaugh spent four seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, leading the franchise to Super Bowl XLVII. Harbaugh and the 49ers lost that game to his older brother, John, and the Baltimore Ravens, 34-31.
Harbaugh was fired following the 2014 season, despite putting together a 44-19-1 regular-season record. He also coached the 49ers to a 5-3 record in the playoffs and only missed the postseason once during his tenure — the 49ers finished 8-8 in his final campaign.
Harbaugh led the Wolverines to the College Football Playoff semifinals this season. His squad lost to the TCU Horned Frogs in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Eve. He has posted a 74-25 record at Michigan. Prior to his stops at Michigan and the 49ers, Harbaugh had a successful stint as head coach of the Stanford football program from 2007 to 2010.
Harbaugh, on paper, checks several boxes for what most NFL owners are looking for in the modern NFL: He is a former NFL quarterback who is known for shepherding the position to success as a coach — specifically with Andrew Luck at Stanford and Colin Kaepernick with the 49ers. He has previous success as both an NFL and college head coach. Most importantly, Harbaugh has proven to be an excellent offensive mind, which is something Tepper reportedly covets.
While Tepper’s first head coaching hire — Matt Rhule — flamed out, despite his success at the college level, Harbaugh’s background is more nuanced. Unlike Rhule, Harbaugh’s footprint in the NFL is marked in stone.
Harbaugh played 15 seasons in the NFL as a quarterback. He also never had a losing season as head coach of the 49ers. Harbaugh also has loose ties to the Panthers: The final stop of his playing career was in Carolina.
Harbaugh served as backup quarterback during the 2001 season, but never played in a game for the Panthers.
“I didn’t get in any games that year,” Harbaugh told The Observer in 2011. “I signed late, and they had eight games to go. I loved it — loved the coaches that were there and the organization. I especially loved throwing to Steve Smith. We were both on the scout team at that time. It didn’t take me long to realize that he was really good. I just kept throwing the ball to him and we were making plays and having fun.”
While the Panthers won’t start their coaching search in earnest until after the team faces off against the New Orleans on Sunday, Harbaugh should be considered a worthwhile candidate if he is in fact ready to jump back into the league.
Interim head coach Steve Wilks has led the Panthers to a 5-6 record since taking over in Week 6 for Rhule. That win total already ties Rhule’s single-season wins during his two full years in Carolina. Wilks finished his home slate with a 4-1 record at Bank of America Stadium. Due to that success, Wilks is expected to be viewed as a candidate for the permanent position.
While Wilks is a minority candidate, he is still considered — according to the Rooney Rule — to be an internal option. The Panthers must interview two minority candidates from outside of the organization to satisfy the Rooney Rule.
The Panthers are expected to cast a wide net for their search, which could extend into February if the team wants to have multiple interviews with candidates whose teams are playing in the playoffs.
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