Andrew Luck: Does His Stanford Return Mean Jim Harbaugh Returns Too?
So Andrew Luck is heading back to Stanford for his junior season. With his decision today, the 2011 NFL Draft has changed completely (by the way, that sound you heard was Jimmy Clausen doing cartwheels outside the Panthers' practice facility).
But with his decision, what will now be the fate of Jim Harbaugh. With Luck coming back, will Harbaugh now hold off the NFL for a while and stay at Stanford? Is the lure of the NFL now too great for him to stay?
Like Luck, Harbaugh will now have some questions to answer before he makes a decision. And in that same vein, here are some reasons why Harbaugh will or won't stay.
No. 5 For Staying: The Chance To Win
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With Luck staying put, Harbaugh should have a pretty good team in place in Palo Alto. With USC down, Stanford could very well be contending with Oregon for the conference title and perhaps even more than that.
Harbaugh's been able to recruit well and at least in the short term, Stanford could have a great chance of making a move.
No. 5 For Leaving: Reached The Ceiling
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Harbaugh's already turned around a dormant program in Stanford and led them to a BCS game.
At this rate, some might argue what else he could really do with the Cardinal that he hasn't done already, save for going to the National Championship.
No. 4 For Staying: Leaving With Luck
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For the most part, Harbaugh and Luck are in the situation they are in now because of each other. They've both helped each other reach new heights.
It could become an attractive situation if, both decided to stay one more year and then perhaps enter the league together, creating a dynamic duo so to speak.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
No. 4 For Leaving: Leaving For John
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Jim and John have both excelled as coaches at their respective levels. One has to think that Jim would love to coach against his brother, as John would love to coach against Jim.
That kind of sibling rivalry, albeit friendly, could be a very powerful draw for Jim, especially if his brother has his ear about the NFL.
No. 3 For Staying: Creating a Legacy
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Harbaugh has rebuilt both programs that he's taken hold of. He moved on from San Diego after four years and just finished his fourth year at Stanford.
If he decided to stay, he could build a powerhouse with the Cardinal and become one of the elite programs in the Pac-10, right up there with Oregon and USC and build a football tradition.
No. 3 For Leaving: Time To Go
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That being said, he's been around for four years at Stanford as I mentioned, and he's already shown the M.O. of a Bill Parcells "rebuild the operation, then move on" type of coach.
Perhaps Harbaugh feels like he's overstayed his welcome in Palo Alto and that personally for him, he's accomplished all he can and that it's time to move on.
No. 2 For Staying: Job Security
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Harbaugh's done a great job for the program and the university itself, and I'd bet he's probably won over a lot of fans connected with Stanford.
They'd be hard-pressed to lose him, so it's safe to assume that the university would keep him around as long as he wanted to right now for what he's done for football. But of course, that's just an assumption.
No. 2 For Leaving: Dispelling a Myth
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That being said, there's another assumption that college head coaches do not translate in the NFL, and there have been many documented cases to prove that.
But Harbaugh is different, and you get the sense that he'd love to be the one who can prove that college coaches can coach at the NFL level and be successful too.
No. 1 For Staying: Money
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But of course, it will come down to what's best for Harbaugh and his family. And Stanford can offer a lot in terms of an impressive contract with perks to help him continue to build the program.
He seems to like it there in San Francisco and he'd be able to provide a very nice lifestyle for himself and his family, not to mention a lot of control over the program.
No. 1 For Leaving: Money
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But NFL owners don't do poorly for themselves, either.
NFL owners can have very deep pockets when they choose to, and if a desperate owner wants a big-time or high-profile hire to try and regenerate interest in the franchise, then they have the means to make Harbaugh think long and hard about leaving Stanford.
If said team would even throw in control over player personnel as well, then it would be very attractive.
So, Will He Stay or Will He Go?
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So at the risk of offending any fans of The Clash, the big question is what will the future hold for Harbaugh?
There are a number of reasons why he should stay in Stanford. But, it's sounding more and more that he's destined for brighter lights.
Michigan's already been ruled out by some accounts, but if you listen to the reports and the people close to him, it's almost as if his mind is made up.
There are reports that he's met with San Francisco and Miami and other reports that he's accepted the Dolphins job already. They all point to the same thing:
Harbaugh's heading to the NFL: It's just a matter of time.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
