Jim Harbaugh has a history with the Chicago Bears.
The current head coach of the Michigan Wolverines played quarterback in the Windy City from 1987-1993, playing under Bears legend Mike Ditka from 1987-1992. He also spent time with the Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Ravens, Los Angeles Chargers and Carolina Panthers, retiring in 2001 after 14 seasons.
He entered the coaching world the following year, beginning his career with the Raiders as a QBs coach. He spent time at San Diego and Stanford after that, before landing with the San Francisco 49ers in 2011.
Now, according to a report by Bruce Feldman of The Athletic, Harbaugh may be interested in returning to the NFL — and the Bears were one of two teams mentioned as destinations he’d be interested in.
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Harbaugh Rumored to Be Interested in 2 Teams: Raiders & Bears
In his January 4 article for The Athletic, Feldman says he’s hearing whispers Harbaugh may want to return to the pros — and he named two teams of potential interest: the Raiders and the Bears.
“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. The Raiders head coaching job might be tough for him to say no to … The Bears might be another option,” Feldman wrote.
Harbaugh finally took down rival Ohio State this year, taking Michigan all the way to the semifinals, ultimately falling to Georgia.
“Yeah, it was a great season. To me it’s one of the best seasons in Michigan football history. We were trying to make it greater. We were trying to make it greater tonight. But it was still a great season,” Harbaugh said after the loss to Georgia. “Ton of resolve with this football team, and as I said, to me it feels like a start. Feels like a beginning.”
That doesn’t sound like a guy who’s going anywhere anytime soon. His contract with the Wolverines goes through the 2025 season, but with likely vacancies coming up in Chicago and with the Raiders — two teams he has a history and connection with — could certainly provide a pull for Harbaugh.
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Jim Harbaugh: Coaching Record & History
Harbaugh was 44-19-1 in his four years as the Niners’ head coach, also going 5-3 in the playoffs. He was the NFL’s Coach of the Year in 2011, and he took San Francisco to the Super Bowl in his second season, where he lost to his brother, John and the Ravens. He went to Michigan in 2015 and has a 61-23 record there, winning AP Coach of the Year in 2021.
In college and the NFL combined, Harbaugh is 156-65 (70%) as a head coach.
Here’s a look at his coaching resumé:
- Oakland Raiders (2002–2003) — Quarterbacks coach
- San Diego (2004–2006) — Head coach
- Stanford (2007–2010) — Head coach
- San Francisco 49ers (2011–2014) — Head coach
- Michigan (2015–present) — Head coach
Right now, it’s all speculation and rumors with Harbaugh’s interest in returning to the NFL, but sometimes, where there’s smoke, there’s fire. We’ll know soon enough if this is one of those times.
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