Getty 49ers CEO Jed York and Jim Harbaugh before a December 2014 game.
The last San Francisco 49ers head coach to take the team to the playoffs before Kyle Shanahan could be on his way back to the NFL, plus perhaps take the reins for a team aspiring for its own playoff berth or take over a franchise he once played for.
Jim Harbaugh, who won 44 games leading the 49ers before returning to the college game, is rumored to be interested in an NFL return according to Bruce Feldman of The Athletic on Tuesday, January 4.
Sources from both from the NFL side, and at Michigan, tell The Athletic that Jim Harbaugh might be tempted to leave the Wolverines to return to the NFL:
The news comes just one week after Harbaugh’s Michigan Wolverines were trounced 34-11 in the Orange Bowl at Miami against the Georgia Bulldogs during the College Football Playoffs, ending his and Michigan’s season at 12-2 overall and as the Big 10 champions. With the win, Georgia advanced to the National Championship game in Indianapolis where they will take on No. 1 Alabama on Monday, January 10.
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But as noted in the Feldman story, one source told the college football insider “I think it’s real” that Harbaugh is expressing an NFL return.
What Jobs are Harbaugh Linked to?
Feldman has pointed out two openings: The Las Vegas Raiders and the Chicago Bears.
Regarding the Silver and Black, Feldman says that one relationship he has already could sway him into taking that gig.
“The Raiders head coaching job might be tough for him to say no to given his ties to the organization — he started his coaching career there in 2003 — and the fact that there’s already a solid quarterback in place in Derek Carr. He’s also friends with Raiders owner Mark Davis,” Feldman wrote.
However, the Raiders have positioned themselves to clinch a playoff berth if they defeat the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, January 9 at Allegiant Stadium. By winning and securing an AFC wildcard spot, the Raiders could be convinced to shed the interim head coaching tag off of Rich Bisaccia.
Meanwhile, the Bears and Matt Nagy are facing a nebulous future together. Nagy’s name has been rumored to be on the list of firings for “Black Monday” after the season wraps up (when teams decide to fire head coaches). Jason Lieser of The Chicago Sun-Times has already written a column on Monday, January 3 detailing how Nagy’s offensive production could be the reason he gets canned.
Matt Nagy’s offense, even more so than his record, will cost him his job.
He talked today about having 3 DCs in 4 years & how the Bears aren’t getting takeaways, but here’s the deal: They hired him to develop a QB & ignite the offense. He’s done neither—
Harbaugh knows the Bears quite well. He spent his first seven NFL years as Chicago’s quarterback — compiling a 35-30 overall record and throwing 50 touchdowns with 56 interceptions in the Windy City.
Harbaugh’s Tenure With the 49ers
Harbaugh left the 49ers without ever falling below the .500 mark.
According to Pro Football Reference, Harbaugh finished with a .695 winning percentage and went 44-19-1 overall.
His first three 49er teams were competitive out the gate: Going 13-3 during the regular season in 2011 and advanced onto the NFC championship game, where they lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants.
The following year, Harbaugh guided the 49ers back to the conference’s title game while navigating through a quarterback change due to injury. With Alex Smith sidelined and Colin Kaepernick behind center, the 49ers reclaimed their first NFC title since the 1994-95 season by beating the Atlanta Falcons. The 49ers eventually fell in the Super Bowl to the Baltimore Ravens.
Harbaugh and the 49ers returned to the conference title game once again in 2013, but lost to a Seattle Seahawks team that would go on and capture the franchise’s first Vince Lombardi trophy.
Things soured after that NFC championship game run. The 49ers fell to 8-8 the following year — making it Harbaugh’s first season of not clinching a playoff berth. Then, the friction in the Bay Area began.
There were reports of growing tensions between the 49ers’ brass and Harbaugh — including the report of the team trying to trade Harbaugh to the Cleveland Browns and the San Jose Mercury News report of friction between Harbaugh and then-49ers general manager Trent Baalke.
Harbaugh ultimately would return to his college alma mater and take over the head coaching position at the University of Michigan. If he leaves the Ann Arbor campus, he’ll leave a job where he’s gone 61-24 overall which includes four double-digit winning seasons according to Sports Reference.