Jim Harbaugh San Francisco 49ers: Will Niners Snag Harbaugh for 2011?
Jim Harbaugh to the San Francisco 49ers has been a hot rumor for some time now, and now that Stanford is past its bowl game, it's only going to heat up.
San Francisco is pushing hard for him to come be the next head coach, but will it happen? Inside I have five reasons why he will and five why he won't, with a conclusion at the end. If you agree or disagree, make sure to leave it in the comments.
Where do you think Harbaugh will end up?
No. 5 San Francisco: Tools to Work with
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If Jim Harbaugh heads to San Francisco, it's not like he'll have nothing to work with.
Harbaugh would have guys like Vernon Davis, Frank Gore and Michael Crabtree to work with and that's something an offensive mind like his could use to turn the 49ers into an offensive powerhouse in a year or two.
Players like that can be appealing to a guy like Harbaugh.
No. 5 Elsewhere: Is Michigan Really Out?
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Jim Harbaugh is a Michigan alumnus and despite reports that the Wolverines might be out, I'm not so sure.
Rich Rodriguez is meeting this afternoon with the athletic director and is reportedly going to be fired. If so, then there's an opening at the school and it makes the job a lot more appealing then when they were talking about it while Rodriguez was still employed by Michigan.
I think Michigan gets back in it if Rich Rod is gone.
No. 4 San Francisco: Tradition
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If I'm the 49ers, I would pitch the tradition of San Francisco and the organization to Jim Harbaugh.
There's a winning tradition there in San Francisco and I think that's something that could play to a guy like Harbaugh. Who wouldn't want to pick up the torch and carry it into a new era? Winning in San Francisco carries so much more weight than in other places.
I think that could be the pitch he's hearing right now. If he's not, he should.
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No. 4 Elsewhere: Finish What You Started
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Jim Harbaugh came to Stanford and turned it into a national power in no time.
The Cardinal are going to finish as one of the top teams in the country, but he's doing it without a national championship. Harbaugh may be thinking that he wants to try to get the Cardinal to the mountaintop before he moves on.
There's more left to prove and he could get Stanford there in a short time.
No. 3 San Francisco: Opportunity for Success Early
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If you go to San Francisco to be a head coach, you have a chance to win right away.
The 49ers are in the NFC West and that division is so bad that a 7-9 team made the playoffs. Mike Singletary cost San Francisco a couple of games with his poor coaching. If a guy like Jim Harbaugh goes there, he can get to the playoffs right away.
There's a good chance to win right away for Harbaugh and impress off the bat.
No. 3 Elsewhere: Stanford Connection in Denver
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Last night on the sidelines, the latest member of the Denver Broncos organization was on the sidelines for Stanford's big win.
John Elway stood on the sideline as Jim Harbaugh's guest and with Denver possibly going elsewhere at head coach, Harbaugh could be a good fit in Denver. There's a young quarterback in Tim Tebow that he could develop and there are other pieces in place.
Elway might be able to court Harbaugh to the Broncos.
No. 2 San Francisco: Needs a Big Splash
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When was the last time San Francisco was relevant?
It hasn't been like that in a long, long time and the 49ers and their fans need a real reason to be excited after so many years of just mediocre, frustrating football. Jim Harbaugh would come in and be someone who could energize the team and the fan base and get things rolling.
I think that's why San Francisco is so desperate to get him.
No. 2 Elsewhere: Miami Dolphins
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Today Jason La Canfora of the NFL Network tweeted that the Miami Dolphins have gotten into the Jim Harbaugh sweepstakes.
They got in when Harbaugh was in the area for the Orange Bowl and La Canfora said that he wouldn't be shocked to see this happen. Miami is a team that could really use a quarterback and a couple of other pieces, but it's another team that will do a lot to win.
You can see why he'd want to go there and there's a chance they can swoop in and get him.
No. 1 San Francisco: Pro Dreams
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Jim Harbaugh has had his eyes on the pro game and it doesn't hurt that his brother is a success in Baltimore.
There's a bit of a sibling rivalry there, too, and you know that deep down Harbaugh wants to prove that if his brother can do it, he can do it too. It's also the biggest challenge in the sport and for a competitive guy who played in the league, that's something you'd want to do.
His stock may never be higher than this and it's the time to make the move.
No. 1 Elsewhere: Andrew Luck
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Andrew Luck might be the key to this whole thing.
If he goes to the pros, that may give Jim Harbaugh the push to leave Stanford behind, but if he stays, there would be plenty of reason to come back and try to win a national championship with arguably the best quarterback in the country.
Both Luck and Harbaugh are waiting on each other to decide their future and it could set a lot of dominoes in motion.
Conclusion
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In the end, I think the 49ers have the best shot to land Jim Harbaugh.
They are relatively close to where he's currently living, so moving to the NFL wouldn't be a huge adjustment for his family. San Francisco has pieces in place and is in a division where he could make an immediate impact. It just makes a lot of sense.
I think he ends up going to the NFL and it's going to be with San Francisco.
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