NFL Rumors: Is Jim Harbaugh the Next Head Coach of the Miami Dolphins?

Stanford's Jim Harbaugh is the hottest name in football at the moment, as the head coach of the 12-1 Cardinal finds himself the subject of several NFL coaching rumors.

Harbaugh has built quite a legacy in his short time at Stanford and has many NFL front offices believing that he is ready for the next level.

One front office in particular, the Miami Dolphins, has made the strongest case thus far.

Dolphins' owner Steve Ross and team general manager Jeff Ireland both flew out to California on Wednesday in an effort to recruit Harbaugh for the head coaching position in Miami.

According to ESPN's Chris Mortensen, Ross would like to make Harbaugh the highest-paid coach in the league.

The salary could pay Harbaugh $seven-eight million a year.

Mortensen also reports that the meeting between the two parties is scheduled for sometime Thursday morning.

However Harbaugh is likely to hear quite a few pitches this winter regarding an NFL head coaching position.

There has been talk of Harbaugh and his Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck becoming a package deal to the Carolina Panthers, who currently hold the No.1 pick in this year's draft.

Still, one has to like Miami's chances. After all the Dolphins went 7-9 in 2010 despite a head-scratching 1-7 record at home.

There is little doubt that Harbaugh would be adopting a quality team that would be ready to compete for a playoff spot next season.

This move would make a lot of sense for Jim Harbaugh, of course if he is willing to make the next logical coaching step up from the college ranks.

For now though, Harbaugh must be quite pleased, as he is the hottest coaching candidate on the market.

Patrick Clarke is a student at Towson University and a writing intern for Bleacher Report.