Jim Harbaugh to NFL rumors strengthen after Michigan HC hires new football agent

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh has added fuel to the persistent rumors that he is considering a move to the NFL. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Saturday that Harbaugh has hired Don Yee as his new agent. Yee has deep ties with the NFL and represents Sean Payton, Julian Edelman and Tom Brady, whom he has represented since 1999, straight out of college.

The hiring aligns with the rumors surrounding Jim Harbaugh's potential move to the NFL. Harbaugh is currently at the doorstep of a national title with the No. 1-ranked Michigan Wolverines, and many believe that if he achieves this goal, there won't be much left for him to do at the college level.

Jim Harbaugh to NFL: Can NCAA investigations drive the coach away?

Harbaugh has led the Wolverines to three straight Big Ten titles and their second straight College Football Playoff appearance. While he hasn't had much success in the postseason with the Wolverines, the team has maintained its status as one of college football's best.

However, one factor that could be shaping the coach's behavior is his current status with the NCAA. Jim Harbaugh is under investigation by the ruling body of college athletics, with recent reports by Detroit News suggesting the coach is staring at a Level 1 violation.

Harbaugh is embattled in two processes with the NCAA: One for breaching recruitment rules during the COVID-19 pandemic and the other for the alleged involvement of his staff in a sign-stealing scandal.

It's been suggested that the coach may want to leave the collegiate level before the consequences of his alleged actions get to him.

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Who's Jim Harbaugh's new agent, Don Yee?

Yee is a Sacramento, California, native who attended UCLA for his bachelor's and later the University of Virginia for his law degree. He's been a sports agent since 1988 and had his big break in 1999 when he signed then-Michigan Wolverine and future New England Patriots star Tom Brady.

In an article from 2017, Tom Brady explained his relationship with Yee to NBC Sports Boston.

"He’s been a great advisor for me, he’s always been focused on football," Brady said. "When I got out of college and was looking for someone to represent me, there were a lot of options. He was someone that really had the same goal where I could find the right spot and my career could flourish ...

"Whatever your personal goals were, he would support that. [Yee wasn’t interested] necessarily in the goals of what an agent may be, but what your goals may be. My goal has always been winning, and he’s tried to support that in the best way he could, and that’s why I have so much respect for him."

Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines take on Nick Saban's No. 4-ranked Alabama in the CFP semifinals on Jan. 1.