Jim Harbaugh: Why Going Back To Stanford Is an Idiotic Move
Jim Harbaugh seems to be the most popular man in America right now.
The Stanford football coach has been linked to Michigan University, the Denver Broncos, San Francisco 49ers and the Miami Dolphins.
And all of these organizations have been willing to break their piggy banks to get Harbaugh to coach their team.
But after all the attempted luring, Harbaugh seems to have made up his mind: He's either staying at Stanford or going to San Francisco.
Which will it be?
Well, we don't know yet, but we could find out as soon as today.
The question is: Should this even be a tough choice?
Here are 10 reasons why Harbaugh staying at Stanford is a dumb decision.
10. The Departing Senior Class
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Though Stanford has some stellar young players and currently has the 16th-best 2011 recruiting class according to ESPN, the school is losing a plethora of talent with the departure of the senior class.
There will certainly be an influx of new talent next year and some freshman/sophomore players will step up, but there's no guarantee that Stanford will be a national power again next year, even with Andrew Luck back in the fold.
There is obviously the possibility that the Cardinal do compete for a national title, but it's far from a guarantee.
9. Money
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According to ESPN.com, the San Francisco 49ers have offered Jim Harbaugh a contract that would pay him $4.5 million per season.
At Stanford, Harbaugh is making roughly $1.25 million each year.
It doesn't take a mathematician to figure out that Harbaugh would be making nearly four times as much money in San Francisco as he is at Stanford.
Money isn't everything in life, but $3.25 million per season is like the difference between dating a three and dating a dime piece.
8. He's Accomplished Enough There
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Other than winning a national championship, there is nothing left for Jim Harbaugh to do at Stanford.
Become one of the nation's best programs? Check.
Have multiple players in the Heisman race? Check.
Turn the school from perennial loser to a top-notch winner? Check.
Win a BCS bowl game? Check.
Harbaugh truly has done it all.
7. He Has an NFL Pedigree
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Jim Harbaugh spent 13 seasons in the NFL with five different teams, from the Chicago Bears to the San Diego Chargers to the Indianapolis Colts.
He also spent two years in Oakland as the quarterbacks coach for the Raiders, and his brother John is currently the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens.
Harbaugh has the experience, both as a player and coach, that will help him succeed at the NFL level.
If anyone seems like a fit in professional football, it's Jim Harbaugh.
6. Leaving Stanford Presents Another Opportunity for a Turnaround
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In three seasons at the University of San Diego, Jim Harbaugh went 29-6 with two Pioneer Football League championships and two 11-1 seasons.
In four seasons at Stanford, Harbaugh's Cardinal team improved upon its previous win total in each season and went from 4-8 in 2007 to 12-1 with an Orange Bowl victory in 2010.
If Harbaugh lands with the San Francisco 49ers, or any other team for that matter, it provides him with another opportunity to do something similar.
And call me crazy, but Harbaugh seems like a guy who wants another challenge.
5. He Can Always Go Back To College
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Steve Spurrier left Florida to go the Washington Redskins in 2002.
His time there was a disaster, so he left the NFL, went back to college and now has South Carolina's football program back on the map after years of relative obscurity.
And Nick Saban did pretty much the same thing.
He left LSU to go to the Miami Dolphins, sucked it up there, then went to Alabama and won another national championship.
Jim Harbaugh doesn't have the resume that those guys had, but why would we think that he couldn't go to the NFL, fail miserably, then go back to college ball and succeed?
4. The Battle of Brotherly Love
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Maybe you don't understand this if you don't have a brother (or sister for the ladies), but there's nothing better than a sibling rivalry.
It's a constant game of one-upsmanship between two people who get along well but still always want to be better than their sibling.
Now imagine seeing Jim and John Harbaugh face each other in the Super Bowl one day.
Other than maybe a boxing match between the Klitschko brothers or a tennis match between the Williams sisters, a sibling rivalry doesn't get more intense than two brothers facing each other in America's biggest sporting event.
3. San Francisco's Talent Level
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Yeah, the San Francisco 49ers finished at 6-10 in 2010.
So what?
In 2009, the 49ers were the No. 1 defense in football, and they have plenty of talented players, like Vernon Davis, Michael Crabtree and Patrick Willis, who is arguably the best defensive player in all of football.
It's not that San Francisco is more talented in NFL terms than Stanford is in college football terms, but the 49ers aren't a bunch of bums either.
2. Playing in the NFC West
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Let's take a look at the regular season records of all four NFC West teams in 2010.
Seattle Seahawks: 7-9
St. Louis Rams: 7-9
San Francisco 49ers: 6-10
Arizona Cardinals: 5-11
It was probably the worst division in football history, which some might see as a reason for Jim Harbaugh to stay at Stanford.
But to the contrary, my friends.
If Harbaugh goes to the 49ers, it's definitely not a stretch to think that he'd take them to the playoffs in 2011, which is precisely why he should do it.
1. The NFL Is the Highest Level of Football
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College football is all fine and dandy. But it's not the NFL.
In professional football the players are bigger, stronger and more athletic.
Translation: they play at a higher level.
If Jim Harbaugh wants to succeed at the pinnacle of his sport, the only way to do that is by going to the NFL.
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