Getty Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh.
Even before the Las Vegas Raiders wrapped up the 2021 season, there were a lot of rumors of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh eyeing the team’s head coaching job. At first, it appeared the feeling would be mutual. Owner Mark Davis tried to hire Harbaugh in the past and it seemed like the perfect time for the two sides to join up.
Bruce Feldman of The Athletic even went on to report that the Michigan coach would’ve taken the Raiders job if offered. However, the offer never came, which was a surprise to many fans. Despite his impressive 44-19-1 record with the San Francisco 49ers, the NFL doesn’t appear that interested in Harbaugh right now.
The Raiders rumors also turned out to be unfounded as the team hired New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. In fact, it doesn’t appear that the team ever even had an interest in Harbaugh. Responding to a question about if the Raiders had any legitimate interest in the coach, The Atheltic’s Vic Tafur made it very clear what the team thought about hiring him.
“Let me pick up my bullhorn again: No! Whether it was the $9 million a year that he wanted or Davis’ desire for a tandem, the Harbaugh noise all came from Michigan and his agent’s reporter buddies,” Tafur wrote.
Davis must’ve been apprehensive to hire a coach that would want personnel control and a big contract after he did that with Jon Gruden. It’s surprising that he didn’t show any interest in Harbaugh but it’s easy to understand why he didn’t.
Jim Harbaugh will likely take the Raiders HC job if offered per @BruceFeldmanCFB
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Ed Dodds Was Briefly Favorite for GM Job
Another fan favorite to get a job with the Raiders was Indianapolis Colts assistant general Ed Dodds, who interviewed for the general manager opening. He worked with the team under Al Davis and is an up-and-coming executive in the NFL. Prior to McDaniels and Dave Ziegler getting hired by Las Vegas, Tafur reported that those two weren’t the favorites. For a brief moment, it looked like Dodds was going to get the job.
“When I wrote that, I was told Ed Dodds had pulled into the GM lead,” Tafur wrote. “I don’t know what happened in the Colts assistant GM’s interview with Herock — or who Dodds said was the coach he wanted to be paired with — but things change. And then things changed again.”
Dodds would’ve been a strong hire but it’s not entirely clear who his head coach would’ve been. Perhaps he wanted Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus to be the head coach in Las Vegas but he got scooped up by the Chicago Bears. It’s hard to know for sure but there could’ve been any number of reasons why Davis ended up hiring McDaniels and Ziegler.
Should Raiders Have Hired Harbaugh?
Davis has to hope that McDaniels is a homerun hire. Fans were really excited about the possibility of Harbaugh coming to the team due to his track record of success. While McDaniels has been a successful defensive coordinator, he failed as a head coach with the Denver Broncos and was fired before he even finished a second season.
For all his faults, Harbaugh knows how to win and probably would’ve won a lot of games in Las Vegas. Davis should be relieved that he didn’t get the Minnesota Vikings head coaching job. If Harbaugh had success and McDaniels flops, it would be a really tough pill to swallow for fans.
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