Vikings Rumors: Jim Harbaugh Confident He Can Land Job Ahead of Wednesday Interview

The Minnesota Vikings are planning to interview Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh at around 8 a.m. CT on Wednesday, according to ESPN's Courtney Cronin.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Harbaugh has "confidence that he’ll land the job" as the Vikings search for Mike Zimmer's replacement. However, Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde spoke to a source who said he hasn't yet made any decision about whether he'd accept any offer.

At the very least, the timing of Harbaugh's interview is an obvious tell as to his priorities.

Wednesday is national signing day in college football. While Michigan is securing an incoming class of recruits, its head coach will be pursuing a new job. Uncertainty around the coaching situation is often a kiss of death on the recruiting trail.

To his credit, the father of 4-star wide receiver Darrius Clemons said Harbaugh indicated he might bolt for the NFL. That level of frankness isn't always the norm. 

On one hand, Harbaugh leaving now would be a bit odd. The Wolverines finally beat Ohio State for the first time since 2011 and reached the College Football Playoff. The 58-year-old went from being on the hot to positioning himself for a hefty pay raise.

On the other hand, Michigan's 34-11 loss to Georgia in the Orange Bowl demonstrated how far the program still needs to go in order to seriously challenge the country's elite. Things might not get much better than they were in 2021.

Generally speaking, it's not hard to see why any college coach would want to leave the year-round grind of recruiting—with the transfer portal now adding to their offseason workload—behind for a slightly less demanding schedule.

Harbaugh already made a successful transition to the pros, too, compiling a 44-19-1 record with the San Francisco 49ers. He led the Niners to three consecutive NFC Championship games after they had failed to record a winning season in the eight seasons prior to his arrival.

If Harbaugh gets the Vikings job or lands with another NFL team, it would be less than ideal for Michigan because his successor would be arriving when spring practice is right around the corner.

But Michigan State was in a similar bind last year after Mark Dantonio's abrupt departure, and hiring Mel Tucker has worked out nicely so far.

And it might be more awkward at this point for Harbaugh to return when his flirtations with the NFL are common knowledge. Rightly or wrongly, many would perceive him to have one foot out the door if he sticks around at Michigan.