Despite Harbaugh’s then-moderate success as the Michigan Wolverines head coach, the former NFL QB appeared eager to return to the NFL. Reports suggested Harbaugh was ready to leap at the opportunity to coach in Minnesota, but the Vikings never actually made him an offer.

After coming up short in his coaching interview in Minnesota, Harbaugh had no choice but to return to Ann Arbor since there weren’t any other NFL teams showing interest at the time. It’s possible the entire experience left Harbaugh with a bitter taste in his mouth, possibly even grudges against the Vikings?

Is Jim Harbaugh Still Bitter About His Minnesota Vikings Interview?

According to a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Harbaugh may have tried to get back at the Vikings’ decision-makers over draft weekend when Minnesota was trying to negotiate a trade up in the first round.

Related: 10 Best Minnesota Vikings QBs of All-Time: Where is Kirk Cousins?

“The Vikings and Chargers talked. And one league exec wondered if Minnesota passing on Jim Harbaugh for the head-coaching opening two years ago would have caused Harbaugh to be awfully stubborn on any potential deal between the sides.”

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Jim Harbaugh/Minnesota Vikings

Would Harbaugh really be that petty? In the NFL, we wouldn’t rule it out. After all, he had no incentive to help the Vikings get their QB of the future. He’s trying to get to the promised land too.

Related: Vikings UDFA Fights Teammate in Insane Locker Room Brawl

Ironically, the Vikings landed Harbaugh’s former QB in J.J. McCarthy, and there’s no bigger fan of the former Wolverines leader than the new Chargers head coach. While the Vikings weren’t able to execute a trade with the Chargers, they may have ultimately gotten what they wanted anyway, landing McCarthy without having to cough up a ton of extra draft capital. They didn’t need Harbaugh’s help.

Michigan Wolverines accused of illegally scouting plays and signs of 2023 opponents

According to the report, Jim Harbaugh is being accused by two different Big Ten opponents of sending“unnamed individuals to attend games of both scheduled opponents and possible College Football Playoff opponents in an effort to gather information on the signs they use to call both offensive and defensive plays”.

“Late Wednesday afternoon, the Big Ten Conference and University of Michigan were notified by the NCAA that the NCAA was investigating allegations of sign stealing by the University of Michigan football program.”

“The Big Ten Conference has notified Michigan State University and future opponents. The Big Ten Conference considers the integrity of competition to be of utmost importance and will continue to monitor the investigation. The Conference will have no further comment at this time.”

Big Ten Statement

If true, this would be one of the biggest cheating scandals in college football history, which could mean significant punishment for Harbaugh and the Michigan football program. More on that momentarily.

First, let’s touch on what we know about this scandal, as it pertains to the Minnesota Gophers, who the Wolverines slaughtered two weeks ago at Huntington Bank Stadium, 52-10.

Related: Gophers Darius Taylor Expected to Play vs Iowa

Did Michigan illegally scout Minnesota Gophers?

The Pioneer Press’ Andy Greder, who covers the Gopher football beat (among a few others) for St. Paul’s historic newspaper, reached out to Big Ten officials, who would not confirm nor deny whether or not the Gophers were one of the two teams who helped launch their investigation against Michigan.

A Big Ten spokesman declined to provide more details to the Pioneer Press on whether the Gophers were one of two teams mentioned in the Yahoo report.

Andy Greder – Pioneer Press

If indeed the inquiring teams were previous 2023 opponents, which is how the report reads, then there’s a 33% chance (2/6) it was PJ Fleck & Co who contacted the NCAA.

Who helped launch Michigan investigation probably won’t matter

Whether it was Minnesota, who logged the complaint against Michigan, or not, is irrelevant to the possible ramifications. If the Wolverines are found guilty of stealing signs illegally, I can absolutely see a world where the Gophers’ 52-10 loss is flipped to a win, due to Michigan forfeit.

As of now, there are no reports of the possible punishments Michigan could be facing, should they be found guilty of cheating. But, these are very serious allegations. It’s worth noting that, when these scandals normally arise, the investigations take place after it is too late to rectify the alleged wrong.

In this case, that is not true. Should the NCAA investigation confirm that Michigan cheated their way to 6-0, to start the 2023 season, it would not surprise me if all six of Michigan’s 2023 wins are nullified and they are barred from postseason play for a number of years.

For the 3-3 (1-2) Gophers, that would mean their 52-10 loss on October 7 would cease to officially exist. The L that currently displays on their 2023 win/loss record, would be flipped to a W and their record improved to 4-2 (2-1).

Related: PJ Fleck Pleads Gophers Fans and Boosters for More NIL Money

An official record correction like that would launch Minnesota right back into the conversation for Big Ten West champs, should they go into Kinnick this weekend and defeat the (6-1) Iowa Hawkeyes. Kirk Ferentz & Co’s only loss on the season is vs Penn State and they do not have Michigan on their schedule in 2023.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Almost like a boxer who’s survived into the middle rounds of a heavyweight fight, the Gophers had already been beat up and knocked down through 5 rounds weeks, but somehow found a way to win a couple of rounds along the way.

Minnesota Gophers vs Michigan Wolverines got ugly fast

Related: How to watch Gophers football in 2023

Minnesota needed a miracle vs Michigan on Saturday night, if they were going to take any hope into their week 7 bye. Unfortunately, any chance at a miracle pretty much died on the Gophers’ first drive of the night, when QB Athan Kaliakmanis threw a pick-6 on the 2nd play of the game.

Starting FAST! pic.twitter.com/0hctinhXd4

— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) October 7, 2023

Apologists will say that the Gophers should feel good about hanging with Michigan in the 1st half. But in all reality, they didn’t. Minnesota started their final drive of the 2nd quarter down 24-3. PJ Fleck was so afraid of the score getting more lopsided, before the break, that he actually started killing clock with 1.5 minutes left and the Gophers barely across midfield.

But, the football gods felt bad for Minnesota Gopher fans, so they paid Fleck off for his conservatism with a 45-yard bomb from Athan to Daniel Jackson for a touchdown, the only one the Gophers would get all night. In fact, it was pretty much their only explosive play on the evening.

35-yard touchdown with seconds left in the half!@GopherFootball | #BigTenSaturdayNight pic.twitter.com/oLvxvROxnl

— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) October 8, 2023

The Minnesota Gophers may have went into halftime, after that play, with a little bit of hope. And, they even came out of the break with a few opportunities to make it a game, because their defense stopped Michigan from scoring on their first two drives of the 3rd quarter.

Related: PJ Fleck Pleads Gophers Fans and Boosters for More NIL Money

Joe Rossi’s defense continues to struggle

But, to no avail. And it wasn’t because of a couple of bad breaks or poor play on Minnesota’s part, that led to this blowout. Don’t let anyone tell you different. The 2023 Michigan Wolverines are just on a completely different level than the 2023 Minnesota Gophers.

Joe Rossi’s defense looks like a shell of itself this season and they were downright exhausted in the 2nd half, trying to hang with a Michigan offense that had them overpowered in every single facet of the game.

Hell, how are we to expect Minnesota defenders to tackle Michigan’s skill position players when they can’t even tackle their mostly pocket-passer quarterback, who ran for two touchdowns on the night.

Dual threat @jjmccarthy09 pic.twitter.com/C7EkHBoBlH

— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) October 8, 2023

Athan Kaliakmanis downright scared of Michigan defense

It became clear, as the drubbing dragged on Saturday night, that Athan Kaliakmanis is nowhere near as ready to lead a Big Ten team through a gauntlet season, as we thought he was, entering fall camp. He looked flustered and downright afraid vs the Wolverines.

Kaliakmanis finished his night with an ugly 5 for 16 (31%) for 52 yards and 2 interceptions. His 35-yard end-of-half touchdown to Jackson accounted for nearly 2/3 of his passing production in the game.

First time since 2017 we’ve had two pick sixes in the same game! pic.twitter.com/J4Kq1Fisoa

— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) October 8, 2023

I know PJ Fleck loves the kid, and I do too. He’s going to say all the right things at the end of the game and take responsibility for his part in tonight’s loss, which he’ll feel was enormous. But, this is power 5 college football and the Big Ten is only getting better and more explosive next season.

Related: Dinkytown Athletes Partners with Gray Duck on New Gophers NIL Beer

If Kaliakmanis doesn’t show an incredible amount of improvement over the final 6-7 games, Fleck needs to look in the mirror and then dive hard into the QB transfer portal. Maybe he doesn’t find a quarterback who’s hands-down a better option than Athan.

But if PJ were to find an obvious upgrade in said transfer portal hunt, it’s his responsibility to make a move.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Jim Harbaugh called Michigan to inform the school that, despite interviewing with the Vikings today, he will be returning to school for the 2022 season, sources tell ESPN. Michigan was, in the words of one source, “elated” to get Harbaugh’s decision.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 3, 2022

We do not know what caused the irreversible divide between Jim and top Vikings decision-makers during his interview today but you can read more about what he was up against heading HERE. All we know for sure is that Jim Harbaugh will NOT be the next Vikings head coach.

Vikings to Hire O’Connell

Once Harbaugh was out, the Vikings were down to three finalists. Left standing were Rams offensive coordinator – Kevin O’Connell, Rams defensive coordinator – Raheem Morris and Giants defensive coordinator – Patrick Graham.

That didn’t last long, however. According to Tom Pelissero (NFL Network), Kevin O’Connell will be the next head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. You can read more about him HERE.

The #Vikings are zeroing in on #Rams OC Kevin O’Connell as their head coach, sources tell me and @RapSheet. The deal can’t be finalized until after the Super Bowl.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 3, 2022

Source said Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell is now likely to be the #Vikings next head coach. The team can’t announce it until after the Super Bowl, but he’ll be the guy.

— Ben Goessling (@BenGoessling) February 3, 2022

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

According to Sam Webb of Michigan Insider (247Sports), Adofo-Mensah has Harbaugh at the top of his list of candidates. We knew that already. But now, both Chad Graff (The Athletic) and Cris Carter (GMFB) are reporting that Mark and Zygi Wilf have also bought in on Jim Harbaugh as the team’s next head coach. They want to make a splash and, hopefully, get right back to winning.

The crew shares their thoughts on Jim Harbaugh’s potential return to the NFL as he interviews for the #Vikings head coaching vacancy today. pic.twitter.com/YpZKrYu595

— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) February 2, 2022

But there are still those inside of the Vikings organization who aren’t buying what Harbaugh is selling. Which is a new-aged coaching style that embraces analytics and collaboration. Most importantly, Jim needs to convince a select few doubters who are expressing serious concerns about his ability to work in harmony with others. If you remember, that was a make or break personality trait for their next coach when this process started.

Doubter Emerges

That list of doubters includes, according to Webb (Michigan Insider), one minority Vikings stakeholder who has intimate knowledge of Jim Harbaugh and his time at the University of Michigan. Another Michigan football Insider and author of a book on Harbaugh’s time with the Wolverines and 49ers, John U. Bacon, followed the breadcrumbs left by Webb in a must-read Twitter thread. Bacon even named the anti-Harbaugh UM alum as Jim Stapleton, who has indeed owned a minority stake in the Minnesota Vikings since 2005.

Sources in Ann Arbor had Harbaugh prepping much of the day Monday with quarterbacks coach Matt Weiss, which makes sense given the Michigan assistant’s technical acumen and expertise in analytics. It’s a sign Harbaugh is taking nothing for granted, and that he will be ready to quell concerns about whether his approach is modern enough.

There is a minority stakeholder in the Vikings with strong Michigan ties who has been adamant in expressing the view that one of the other candidates would be a better choice.

Sam Webb (Michigan Insider)

Webb doesn’t name him, and didn’t tell me, but my sources have confirmed what I already suspected from circumstantial evidence: U-M alumnus and former EMU trustee Jim Stapleton, who’s been a Vikings minority owner since 2005. (9/13)

— John U. Bacon (@Johnubacon) February 2, 2022

As I reported in Three and Out, after Stapleton had been accused of sabotaging U-M coach Rich Rodriguez he wrote a 4-page letter refuting the charges, but still had his sideline pass revoked. He is now one of Harbaugh’s critics, hoping to persuade the Wilfs to reject him. (10/13)

— John U. Bacon (@Johnubacon) February 2, 2022

So what happens next?

Minnesota’s head decision-makers, both Webb and Bacon confirmed in the above blog and Twitter thread respectively, want Jim Harbaugh to be the Vikings’ next head coach. Those decision-makers include the new general manager, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, and owners Mark and Zygi Wilf. Because of that, he’s the far and ahead favorite.

But Jim is clearly taking this interview seriously and wants to show his doubters that he’s turned over a new leaf, or that he was never the difficult to work with head coach some think he is. Either way, we should have an answer sometime in the next 12 hours, I’d imagine.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

#Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham is wrapping up a 9-hour interview with the #Vikings in Eagan; he spent the day with people throughout the organization, after new GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah had Graham on his short list. Now, to see what comes of Jim Harbaugh’s interview.

— Ben Goessling (@BenGoessling) February 2, 2022

Harbaugh’s Turn

But this isn’t a normal situation and there is a giant elephant, not yet in the room, but reportedly on his way to Eagan, MN right now. His name is Jim Harbaugh and those who work at his current place of employment, the University of Michigan, believe Jim is as good as gone.

Multiple sources tell The Wolverine’s Chris Balas that Harbaugh’s interview with the Minnesota Vikings on Wednesday is merely a formality. They believe he’s going there to accept the job and begin his victory tour.

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh is headed to Minnesota for a Wednesday interview, but multiple sources say it’s a formality. Harbaugh heads there planning to sign a deal to become the NFL Vikings’ head coach.

Harbaugh was not in his office at Schembechler Hall today. Other sources told TheWolverine.com that while he didn’t address the team, he did say some “goodbyes” and “thank yous” yesterday.

Chris Balas – Michigan Insider (The Wolverine)

Other Signs Point to Harbaugh

Patrick Graham may have hung out in the Twin Cities for an uncomfortable amount of time today. But all signs still point to Jim Harbaugh as the next Minnesota Vikings head coach, as long as he doesn’t screw things up during tomorrow’s interview process.

Balas isn’t the only person confident in Harbaugh’s chances. Various insiders at Michigan believe Jim is at the top of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s list of candidates. Harbaugh is clearly ready to leave Ann Arbor in favor of Minneapolis should he get the job offer.

Good on the Vikings organization for doing their due diligence with other candidates but if Jim Harbaugh, who has one of the best winning percentages in NFL history, wants to make Minnesota his new NFL home then you have no choice but to take advantage of such an opportunity.

Next up: Jim Harbaugh, who heads to Minnesota with confidence that he’ll land the job. Time will tell. https://t.co/Eni6jKQAfk

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 2, 2022

Detroit News @chengelis spoke to Deon Johnson, whose son William is highly rated incoming Michigan frosh. Deon said Jim Harbaugh spoke to son Monday on maybe going to NFL 1/2 “He told William he was definitely looking & if an opportunity came up, he was probably going to take it”

— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) February 2, 2022

Detroit News quote from @chengelis 2/2 “(Harbaugh) told him he felt the team was gonna be good, they’re gonna win a lot of ballgames, they’re gonna do a lot of good things But he wants to chase a Super Bowl That’s one of the things on his list is to be a Super Bowl-winning coach”

— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) February 2, 2022

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

But late Monday night, Michigan Football’s most plugged-in insider, Sam Webb, told his 247Sports subscribers just how serious Jim Harbaugh really is. “Several” sources tell Webb that Jim has already reached out to possible staff members and would accept the Minnesota job if offered. Harbaugh is reportedly “pursuing the opportunity hard“.

I was told by multiple university sources today that Harbaugh’s desire to return to the pros… if he can… has been made clear. Wednesday’s interview isn’t merely another step in the feeling out process. He is pursuing the opportunity hard. And as should be expected under those circumstances, I’ve heard he’s made overtures toward potential targets for his would-be staff.

Should that interview progress to Harbaugh being offered the job, every Michigan source I spoke with today… and there were several… shared their expectation that he will accept it.

Sam Webb – The Michigan Insider (247Sports)

Adofo-Mensah Wants Harbaugh; Others Not Sold

It was the hire of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah that made initial Jim Harbaugh to Minnesota steam unbelievable. If the Vikings want “collaboration” and “intentional decision making”, why would they hire Harbaugh, who would want A LOT of say in personnel?

But according to Webb’s reporting, it’s Adofo-Mensah who has Harbaugh at the top of his list. Apparently it’s Harbaugh who needs to convince some of the Vikings top brass, with the help of Adofo-Mensah, that he’s the right guy for the job.

This time that agent shared buzz from NFL circles suggesting that Harbaugh is at the top of Adofo-Mensah’s list, but that Michigan’s headman still needs to be sold to others in the organization. There’s reportedly a perception in league circles that ‘Harbaugh can be tough to deal with.’ But that’s a concern that his already-established rapport with Adofo-Mensah might quell.

Sam Webb – The Michigan Insider (247Sports)

Minnesota or Bust

According to both Webb and John U. Bacon, who wrote a book on Harbaugh and has been on top of the Harbaugh steam since the beginning, Jim is all in on joining the Minnesota Vikings. But if he doesn’t get the job, he’s going back to Michigan. There is no 3rd option. For Harbaugh, it’s Minnesota or bust (back to Michigan).

Harbaugh Watch, Day 31: Nobody Knows How It Ends, but…
-Harbaugh 2nd interview with MN Wed. Harbaug serious, MN intrigued.
-Word is Ross determined to honor his promise not to interfere with UM football. Miami looks out.
-Down to MN and UM.
-I'm still at 60-40 Harbaugh stays.

— John U. Bacon (@Johnubacon) February 1, 2022

The Ball is obviously in the Vikings’ court. Jim Harbaugh wants to be the next coach here and if he can convince the Wilfs or other doubters inside the organization that he isn’t a crusty old-school personality like Mike Zimmer was, then he’ll be the next coach of the Minnesota Vikings. Something we never would have thought possible when this process started.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

The #Vikings plan to fly in Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh for an interview Wednesday in Minnesota, per sources.

The sides spoke Saturday to gauge Harbaugh’s interest in the head coaching job. Now, another big step towards Harbaugh potentially returning to the NFL.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 1, 2022

Per source, New York Giants DC Pat Graham will be in Minnesota on Tuesday for his second interview with the Vikings. Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh will interview in Minnesota son on Wednesday.

— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) February 1, 2022

If Harbaugh’s future plans included Michigan, it’s hard to imagine he’d take a trip to Minnesota on National Signing Day. Does that mean Jim is the favorite? Maybe not, but it likely means he’ll jump to the NFL whether it’s for the Vikings job or a different one.

Ryans Out, Graham Back In

Earlier on Monday, it was widely accepted that the Wilfs and Adofo-Mensah had narrowed their list of candidates to four. The finalists were Kevin O’Connell, Raheem Morris, Jim Harbaugh and DeMeco Ryans. That was until this evening, when it was reported that Ryans had dropped out of the running. New York Giants defensive coordinator, Patrick Graham, who had his first interview via Zoom over the weekend, is back in the race.

Per source, New York Giants DC Pat Graham will be in Minnesota on Tuesday for his second interview with the Vikings. Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh will interview in Minnesota son on Wednesday.

— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) February 1, 2022

49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans, as first reported by NFL Media, has declined request for a second interview. He’s out of the #Vikings running. Vikings brass will return to Minnesota after concluding interview tonight in Los Angeles with Rams D-Coordinator Raheem Morris.

— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) February 1, 2022

After completing their interview with Morris on Monday, Minnesota needs to interview one more minority candidate in-person to satisfy the Rooney Rule. By the end of Wednesday, the Minnesota Vikings will have completed second interviews with all of their remaining head coaching finalists and satisfied all NFL search parameters. That means, 48 hours from now we could have our new head coach.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

The candidate pool has apparently been whittled down to four finalists and the Vikings head coach search committee is in Los Angeles today, to conduct three of four final interviews. Here are the four remaining candidates and the latest steam behind their possible hire.

Jim Harbaugh – University of Michigan Head Coach

Jim Harbaugh is, by far, the most intriguing candidate remaining on the list of possibilities. Not only did he coach the San Francisco 49ers to a Super Bowl birth during his first stint in the NFL, but Harbaugh’s one of the most polarizing coaches in all of football, no matter the level.

There’s no doubt that Harbaugh is serious about returning to the NFL. It’s been reported by multiple league insiders and those who cover the Michigan Wolverines at the college level. If he doesn’t get the Minnesota job, there are new rumors linking him to the Dolphins open position. So if the Vikings want him, they can probably get him.

Jim Harbaugh conveyed legitimate interest in the Vikings' head-coaching job during his interview with the team, per source, with Minnesota coming away feeling Harbaugh is ready for a return to the NFL. As of now, he's still considered in the mix for that job.

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) January 31, 2022

Everyone I’ve spoken to in Michigan circles believes Jim Harbaugh’s interest in the Vikings is genuine and that he will formally interview as indicated in multiple reports. Where Michigan’s headman is in Minnesota’s pecking order heading into this week’s process is the real question.

Sam Webb – “The Michigan Insider” (247Sports)

Kevin O’Connell – LA Rams Offensive Coordinator

If I had to lay money down on one candidate to be the next Minnesota Vikings head coach, I’d place my bets on Kevin O’Connell. He’s the first finalist to get a second interview and the only coordinator remaining on the list who coaches on the offensive side of the ball. He’s consistently had the most steam behind his name since the beginning of this process, as well.

O’Connell doesn’t call plays for the Rams but he’s widely seen as one of the brightest young offensive minds in the league. After nearly a decade with defensive-minded Mike Zimmer, a shift to an offensive focus seems natural. I’m not the only one who thinks O’Connell is the favorite.

pic.twitter.com/z0SpfiWaEu

— Skol Vikes (@SkolBros) January 31, 2022

Raheem Morris – LA Rams Defensive Coordinator

Raheem Morris was a late add to the list of second interviews today. In fact, Sports Illustrated released an article this morning naming just three finalists. They had to update it to include Morris, after it was posted. That doesn’t mean Morris is out of the running or won’t get the job but it is worth noting since the Vikings were already in route to Los Angeles to interview O’Connell (who works in the same building).

Interviews with Morris and Ryans will satisfy the NFL’s “Rooney Rule“, which mandates teams to interview at least two external minority candidates for any open head coach position. O’Connell and Morris are the only two candidates who will coach in the Super Bowl two weeks from yesterday. Still, the Vikings could have a verbal agreement in place before and make it official after a 2021-22 NFL champion is named.

The #Vikings’ coaching search committee is en route to Southern California right now, where interviews with Kevin O’Connell and Raheem Morris should occur first. DeMeco Ryans is also slated for a second interview.

— Ben Goessling (@BenGoessling) January 31, 2022

DeMeco Ryans – San Francisco 49ers Defensive Coordinator

DeMeco Ryans is the last candidate remaining for this blog. I’d place him as the 3rd most-likely to get the Minnesota Vikings head coaching job. His 49ers were eliminated from Super Bowl contention on Sunday night when they lost to the LA Rams. That would make his hire a bit easier from a procedural standpoint. Not that the Vikings would make a decision based on that.

New general manager Adofo-Mensah has worked most recently with Ryans (2017-19). They were together during his final years in San Francisco. Recency bias is something to keep in mind, given Kwesi hasn’t worked with the other candidates since prior to 2015.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Once you get passed the shock of such an incredible news story involving our favorite football team, a few questions quickly enter the mind of Minnesota sports fans. First, how realistic is the possibility of Jim Harbaugh actually joining the Vikings? Second, could he just be using this “interview” as leverage to better his situation in Ann Arbor? And finally, out of all the NFL jobs Harbaugh could have shown interest in… why Minnesota?

The Evidence

Well, thanks to the power of the internet and the many insiders who have reported on the situation, there are some pieces we can put together. This started back on January 4, when Bruce Feldman (The Athletic) reported Harbaugh’s interest in going back to the league.

And now, The Athletic is hearing rumblings, both from the NFL side and at Michigan, that Harbaugh might be tempted to leave the Wolverines to return to the NFL. “I think it’s real,” said one source this week when asked about the possibility of Harbaugh being interested in heading back to the NFL.

Bruce Feldman – The Athletic

The Contract

Then there’s the contract. Jim Harbaugh had his best season as the Wolverines head coach in 2021. He won AP Coach of the Year, took Michigan to the College Football Playoff and won the Big Ten Championship. Oh, and he finally beat Ohio State.

But entering 2021, Harbaugh was on the hot seat. So hot, that he was forced to take a massive pay cut reducing his salary from 1st in the Big Ten to 8th. His buyout was also lowering significantly. Jim earned most of it back in incentives, thanks to Michigan’s historic season.

Source tells The Athletic Michigan and Jim Harbaugh are close to finalizing a five-year deal — expected base salary is $4 million. With incentives, he could get it back to $8 million. Buyout is expected to be low.

Harbaugh hasn't signed. Is expected to soon.

— Nick Baumgardner (@nickbaumgardner) January 8, 2021

Harbaugh’s loyalty to Michigan changed when he took that pay cut one year ago. They offered him another extension earlier this month. He’s actually agreed to verbally but has yet to sign it officially. Could Jim be hoping to get even more in that new extension? Maybe, but he’s also 58 years old. The grind of an NFL season isn’t easy by any means. But it doesn’t include recruiting, which never sleeps and puts a lot of stress on college coaching staffs year-round.

Why the Vikings?

We know that Jim Harbaugh took interest in the Minnesota Vikings open head coaching gig after his old friend, Kwesi Afofo-Mensah, was hired as their new general manager. So that’s the first reason why Harbaugh would eye the job in Minnesota, specifically.

Beyond that, they also have owners who are patient and don’t mettle in what their team leaders want to do both in the front office and on the football field. That sort of thing can be rare and make said leaders feel much more comfortable with decisions they make. If Harbaugh had issues with 49ers ownership and/or the front office, a combination of Adofo-Mensah and the Wilf family could be very enticing.

Then, we move to the roster. While it certainly isn’t free of warts that need removal, it’s also stacked with some pretty young and intriguing talent. Obviously, Justin Jefferson is the shiny diamond on top. But the Vikings also have Brian O’Neill, Danielle Hunter and Eric Kendricks, among others. And let’s not forget the best combination of team facilities league-wide, between US Bank Stadium and TCO Performance Center.

Worth a Try

Even if Jim Harbaugh is using the Minnesota Vikings opening as a means to gain more money and more security at Michigan, then so be it. The ride alone will be worth it and raise the stock of the Vikings job in the eyes of other candidates.

But if that’s what he wanted to do, why would he only show interest in this job? Why not show more interest in all of the jobs that are currently available? The fact that the Vikings job is the only one Harbaugh has been legitimately linked to tells me that he’s serious about wearing a purple sweatshirt or jacket with his khakis.

Which is, by the way, a great combination.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan