Jim Harbaugh To Michigan: Why Won't He Return to His Alma Mater?
Michigan is where we were led to believe was the destination for Stanford's head coach, Jim Harbaugh. Recent revelations have all but nixed that possibility.
Harbaugh's brother, Jon Harbaugh, was quoted as saying, "I don’t know what he’s going to do...I think the Michigan thing is done now. I don’t think he’s interested in doing that, which is hard for him because he loves Michigan. But it says a lot about Stanford and we’ll just see what happens."
So it seems the Baltimore Ravens coach has no idea where his brother will land, he is just sure it will not be with the Wolverines.
What could have possibly happened to take Michigan out of the running so quickly? Here are some items that were considered.
10. Michigan Job
1 of 10
In the end, the Michigan job was not all it was cracked up to be. Sure it sounded great in theory. They say you can never go home, well Harbaugh has the chance. He could go back and coach the team he loves, the team he was a part of, to victory.
Well the job happens to be a million miles away and he would have to move the family again. But more than that, it is just not that attractive. You immediately have the weight of the Wolverine nation on your shoulders.
They may be the hungriest collegians for a title.
So with expectations at an all time high, why not bolt to the NFL? The expectations are just as high but at least you are in the NFL, not a rebuilding program in Michigan.
9. Stanford
2 of 10
Walking away is not so easy when the Stanford Cardinal has become successful under your watch. Stanford just dismantled the Virginia Tech Hokies on national television in the Orange Bowl.
The time Harbaugh has spent at Stanford has been special. He has turned a down in the dumps program into a national contender again. The faces of the men he has taught and coached has to be a drawing point. When you spend so much time an energy at just one endeavour, it is tough to leave.
8. Andrew Luck
3 of 10
It is quite rare to have a talent like Andrew Luck on your squad. He is the driving force that makes this team great.
It is clear that neither Andrew Luck nor Jim Harbaugh know what they are doing. It is also a no-brainer that both parties would like the use of the others decision to make their own easier. If Luck returns, Harbaugh may not be able to resist coaching that quarterback with this squad next season.
If Luck leaves, it takes one of the biggest excuses to stay out of the equation. This decision rests largely on Andrew Luck.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
7. USC
4 of 10
This is a two part argument. USC is both ideal to shoot for, and a stepping stone.
USC is no longer the big dog on the block. For a while it used to be USC and then everyone else. Now that they are gone, it is anyones conference to take a hold of.
That becomes even more enticing when you look at what USC and Pete Carroll were able to accomplish.
Perhaps Harbaugh has delusions of collegiate glory. Without USC and a potential star returning, Harbaugh could win a title and garner an influx of top recruits.
It then becomes the decade of the Cardinal, or so Harbaugh might hope.
6. Oakland Raiders
5 of 10
The Oakland Raiders job just became available as Tom Cable has been let go from his position as head coach.
Now the job to coach the team he was an assistant coach at in 2002 is there for the taking. It is in the bay area and demands the touch of a man with knowledge of quarterbacks. That may be the one thing this team has needed for so long.
This very well could be the start of a bidding war between the Raiders and 49ers for Harbaugh's services.
5. San Francisco 49ers
6 of 10
Need a job coaching in the NFL? I heard they are hiring just up the street.
Jim Harbaugh is just a hop, skip and no jump needed away from the 49ers, as he resides in Palo Alto with the Cardinal. San Francisco's job miraculously became available when Mike Singletary frittered away the 49ers' season.
It also happens to be one of the more prestigious openings in football.
Imagine walking in the footsteps of Bill Walsh. Then you can try your hand at finding the next Montana or Young.
The 49ers are calling and Harbaugh is listening.
4. National Title
7 of 10
The fact is, the Stanford Cardinal were good this year, real good. They ended the regular season as the No. 4 team in the nation.
That cannot go unnoticed by Harbaugh.
He was essentially one Oregon Ducks loss away from the title game himself. You can bet that if Stanford took that game, it would be Harbaugh playing on January 10th for a National Title.
He very well could have glazed over eyes from staring at the National Title. If he gets Andrew Luck back, they would easily be favorites to continue up the ladder in college football.
3. Family
8 of 10
Jim Harbaugh is a family man. He and his wife Sarah are the proud parents of five children, three of which are little girls.
It is very hard for someone to justify moving not just yourself, but your entire family. The kids have to get acclimated to a new school. There is the ordeal of finding a house. In the end, the Michigan job was just not worth the trouble.
2. Opportunities
9 of 10
This is one year that you would like to make yourself available as a potential head coach. There is a plethora of job openings in college and in the NFL.
NFL coaches are dropping like flies. At this rate, I will be surprised if any of them keep their jobs this off season. Coming off the high of winning the Orange Bowl, Harbaugh would do well to sit back and let the offers start rolling in.
1. NFL
10 of 10
Why stay in college football when you could play around with the big boys? There is no question, the main objective of almost all head coaches is to get to the big time. Harbaugh has been trying to do just that since 2002 when he was an assistant with the Raiders.
That stint gave him a taste of the NFL and he wants is back. The success he has had in college football is sure to make him confident he can duplicate his results at the next level.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
