Jim Harbaugh: Top Ten Job Destinations For The Stanford Head Coach
After Stanford's dominant win over Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl on Monday night, speculation has come over the future Jim Harbaugh and his quarterback Andrew Luck.
If he were to leave, it seems that the football program at Stanford would fall into disrepair, and it would struggle mightily without his presence.
There are, however, countless athletic directors and NFL general managers who would gladly fill his bank account with sacks full of greenbacks if he were to sign with their team.
He was linked to NFL rumors a season ago after Stanford went 8-5 and went to a bowl game for the first time since 2001, for which he was rewarded with a contract extension through 2014.
This year, he took Stanford to a 12-1 record after their Orange Bowl win, marking the first time in school history that the Cardinal won more than ten games.
The only thing left that he can do at Stanford is win the Pac-10 and win a National Championship, and who knows if he could do it or not?
Here I have a list of the top ten jobs available to Jim Harbaugh.
10. Tennessee Titans
1 of 10
Tennessee would be a decent choice for the future of the younger Harbaugh brother.
There is uncertainty at nearly every position, so it would be his prerogative to come in and do whatever he would like with the team in order to get them back up and running.
He could build his offense around an explosive runner, much like the one he had with Toby Gerhart in Stanford a season ago.
There is also the fact that he would have the thrill of competing against Peyton Manning, one of the smartest quarterbacks of all time.
9. Denver Broncos
2 of 10
The Denver Broncos are in a transition period, so he would likely have to ride out a few bad seasons before he got his system in place.
Harbaugh could completely overhaul the team, and it would be widely accepted, as the people of Denver want progress more than anything else.
He would have Tim Tebow there, who he could either use to sculpt into an NFL quarterback, or ship him out for a draft pick and start completely from scratch.
The only downside of Denver would be the cold, as he would have to shift from sunny Palo Alto, California to Mile High Stadium in a span of a few months.
Denver would definitely be a project, one that would be nearly as big as the one he had to take on at Stanford.
8. Arizona Cardinals
3 of 10
The Cardinals are in the process of a downfall and are probably in the process of getting rid of Ken Wisenhunt as well.
Arizona would provide a blank template in the quarterback position, and it would allow him to start from scratch.
He would, however, still have some skilled players milling around on the team, with one of the best receivers in the league, Larry Fitzgerald, still surviving in 'Zona.
It would be a challenge to get the team up and running, but considering the fact that the team is in the NFC West, he could end up in the playoffs next season with a stroke of luck.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
7. Michigan Wolverines
4 of 10
As I started filling out this slideshow, two things happened.
One, Rich Rodriguez got fired, and two, Jim Harbaugh said he wasn't interested in coaching at Michigan.
It's understandable that Harbaugh doesn't want to take the Michigan job; he has already done at Stanford what he would need to do at Michigan.
He took a down and out program and returned them to their former glory in a matter of just a few years, taking down some of the big boys in the process.
Nonetheless, any body would relish the opportunity to return to their Alma Mater and get a job.
6. Miami Dolphins
5 of 10
Miami is a beautiful town with a large base of hardcore football fans and a storied history.
The Miami coaching job may not be currently available, but many sources are saying that Miami and Harbaugh have talked about him taking over the job.
Miami is a young team, and if things don't turn out as well as he had planned in the first couple years, hey, at leas there is still a beach nearby.
5. Cleveland Browns
6 of 10
The biggest draw of the Cleveland Browns for Jim Harbaugh would be the chance to go up twice a year against his older brother John.
He would also be joining a team with a great future ahead of it, as long as it is run correctly.
They have many young and talented pieces, including a promising young quarterback in Colt McCoy and a Toby Gerhart-esq runningback in Peyton Hillis.
Plus, if he were to eventually win a Super Bowl in Cleveland, he would become a legend in every regard in the city.
He would become a god in that city, and they would lavish him with gifts like no other coach has seen before.
4. Houston Texans
7 of 10
Houston is one of the most promising teams for next season of the teams that could be looking for a new coach this offseason.
No word has been given yet to give Gary Kubiak the boot, but the fans are growing restless over his constant mediocrity.
Houston has one of the most prolific offenses in the NFL and would be an excellent team to walk in the door on.
3. San Diego Chargers
8 of 10
Everything about Houston is the same for San Diego, but better.
They have a better offense, better quarterback, better defense and a better chance of winning in a weaker division next season.
Also, after a few years of starting slow and having to play catch-up as the season goes along, quite a few people of San Diego are growing tired of Norv Turner and would welcome Harbaugh with open arms.
Taking over San Diego would be a cake walk for any coach, and if Harbaugh is as good as he seems, then this could be an excellent team under his watch.
2. Stanford Cardinal
9 of 10
Nobody ever criticized a guy for staying put, and sometimes it is the smartest move; just ask Michigan State's basketball coach Tom Izzo. By staying put, he avoided coaching a dreadful Cavs team and is once again coaching a good college basketball team.
Harbaugh still has a lot he can fight for at Stanford, including a Pac-10 title and a National Championship, if he can keep up his excellent recruiting.
If Harbaugh wants to strike while the iron is hot and jump to the NFL, now is the time to do it, but nobody will hate him for staying right where he is beloved.
Who knows, if he comes back, maybe Andrew Luck will follow suit and they really can make a run at the National Championship.
1. Carolina Panthers
10 of 10
As crazy as it seems, Carolina would be the most lucrative coaching job for Jim Harbaugh as it stands right now.
By going to Carolina, he gets to build from the bottom up and start with exactly the players he wants to start with, as nobody there is indispensable.
By signing with the Panthers, he would have the number one pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, which he could use to reunite with Andrew Luck, which really seems to be a match made in heaven.
Carolina would offer a good climate to live in, a football team that he could control every aspect of, and, if he wants, his college quarterback back.
What more could you ask for?
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
