Jim Harbaugh: Why The Stanford Coach Has Sullied His Reputation This Past Week

Jim Harbaugh is supposedly set to make a decision sometime today on whether or not he'll return to Stanford or make the leap to the NFL. Harbaugh, who coached the Stanford Cardinal to a dominating win in the Orange Bowl, has become the most coveted coach in the college ranks and NFL.

But the highly wanted coach hasn't handled this whole situation with class. Instead of being a stand-up man and ending speculation about his job status we've had to hear from his brother John that he isn't going to Michigan. 

If Harbaugh didn't want to go to his alma mater this whole time he should have said so himself. Nobody would have faulted him for saying that he wanted to stay at the college level he would rather do it at the program he's revived in Stanford.

But Harbaugh didn't do that. Instead, he's kept to himself and let the media run wild with speculation. Is that fair to the school he is currently working for? 

I mean is it really that hard to make a public statement that you're considering all of your options and you'll have a decision by a certain date? No it isn't.

Yet Harbaugh seems to be basking in the glory of being the most wanted coach on earth right now. If Harbaugh needed pointers on how to handle this situation he need to look no further than his quarterback at Stanford, Andrew Luck.

Luck is a can't-miss prospect who had NFL experts salivating, yet he made his decision yesterday without any charades. 

The worst of this whole saga was the Miami Dolphins situation. Miami, who still has a coach in Tony Sparano, flew out to meet with Harbaugh a couple of days ago. The meeting was not only disrespectful to Sparano, but it said a lot about Harbaugh's true character.

It's the equivalent to going on a date with a woman who just became separated from her husband but hasn't yet divorced.

Even though the Dolphins ended up retaining Sparano and Harbaugh presumably turned down the job, it was pathetic on his part to even allow Miami to make a pitch. After all of this Harbaugh's two choices come down to remaining at Stanford or going to the San Francisco 49ers.

Before the Orange Bowl it was believed that the one NFL team Harbaugh wanted to go to was the 49ers. So why exactly did he lead on Miami, Michigan and Denver? Maybe most of this was caused by the media and the rumors of interest in other teams wasn't factual. 

But that's on Harbaugh to go on the record and set things straight. To think after all of this, Harbaugh could end up where he never left is quite amazing. It would be great for college football if Harbaugh chose to stay, but he didn't need to lead several NFL teams on a goose chase.

When it's all said and done Harbaugh will still be highly respected, although in my eyes and hopefully others, it will be slightly less so than it was before.