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Jim Harbaugh officially conquered the biggest challenge of his coaching career Saturday as his Michigan Wolverines finally took down the Ohio State Buckeyes. It was his first win in six attempts, and Michigan now have a shot to win the Big Ten and advance to the College Football Playoff.
Harbaugh's job status could have been in question with yet another loss to the Wolverines' rivals. But the win could have him on the NFL head coaching radar now that he has proven he can lead a college football program to the peak of the game.
Harbaugh was the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers from 2011-2014 after a stint at Stanford. He led the team to the Super Bowl and never had a losing season in four years. But he took the job at his alma mater and, after a bit of a rollercoaster ride, could look to return to the NFL on top. So which teams should target him if that is the case?
#5 - New York Jets
The New York Jets did pick up a win in Week 12 against the Houston Texans. Yet the Texans don't usually provide much of a tough challenge and the Jets still have serious problems at 3-8 on the year.
Robert Saleh is in his first season as Jets head coach, and his whole thing was supposed to be having a dominant defense. However, his team allows over 30 points per game and is easily the worst defense in the entire NFL.
Hiring Harbaugh would also be great for rookie quarterback Zach Wilson. He could be paired with a former NFL quarterback in Harbaugh and a young Jets team would get a coach with a ton of experience with players at different levels.
The Jets have already seen Sam Darnold not pan out because of bad coaching. Wilson taking the same route would be on the organization, and this hiring could stop that reality from ever being able to happen.
#4 - Chicago Bears
It seems like a foregone conclusion that Matt Nagy will be fired by the Chicago Bears at the end of the 2021 season. Ownership may just want to wait to avoid breaking the tradition of never firing a head coach during a season.
Like with the Jets and Wilson, Harbaugh could lead the Bears and be paired with Justin Fields for his second NFL season. Chicago does not want a repeat of the Mitchell Trubisky situation, and Harbaugh represents a proven option to develop a young dual-threat quarterback. Remember the success he had with Colin Kaepernick?
The Bears and the Jets are in a similar situation with young first-round quarterbacks. Getting Harbaugh in the building would provide an immediate advantage for any team with a young quarterback who got off to a rough start in their career.
Harbaugh in Chicago would also provide a much-needed new voice at a time when it looks like Bears players have tuned Nagy out.
#3 - San Francisco 49ers
It may seem like a bold claim to say that the San Francisco 49ers should seek a reunion with Jim Harbaugh. But is it a bad idea as the franchise looks to transition to a new quarterback?
Kyle Shanahan seemed to be criticism-proof until this season. The 49ers drafted Trey Lance at No. 3 overall, but have stuck with Jimmy Garoppolo as their starter. A 6-5 record to this point is not terrible, yet the 49ers may want a new voice in charge after such up-and-down results with Shanahan. Just when everything seems great, he can't seem to maintain consistency.
Landing Harbaugh in the Bay Area again gives them a coach who reached the Super Bowl with the franchise and one who could come in and work with Lance. Shanahan does have a history of running great offenses, but he may be best served as a coordinator.
#2 - Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are in a fascinating situation right now. Head coach Brian Flores was in the hot seat just a few weeks ago, as was quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. The team has now won four straight games to reach 5-7 on the year.
Rumors point toward the Dolphins still pursuing a Deshaun Watson trade in the offseason. Whether it is Watson or Tagovailoa under center, Dolphins ownership can get a proven winner in Harbaugh to chase a title. That is the exact motivation behind the pursuit of Watson in the first place.
Flores has established a solid culture within the organization. Harbaugh can capitalize upon that while also serving as the perfect coach for any quarterback to work with. That could even include an early draft pick to compete with Tagovailoa if the Watson pursuit is called off.
#1 - New York Giants
The New York Giants should give Harbaugh full control of football operations if he wants it. GM Dave Gettleman is likely gone and Joe Judge could follow if ownership wants a total reset.
Daniel Jones does not look like the future of the franchise, and major changes need to be made. Giving Harbaugh control, or at least hiring him as head coach, gives the team a high-profile addition for the first time since Tom Coughlin retired.
This is a historic NFL franchise based on the largest possible American market. There is no reason why they should settle for coordinators and unproved head coaches.
The tricky part here is figuring out how to convince Harbaugh to leave Michigan for such a dysfunctional franchise. Having a say over personnel decisions could be what it takes to get him away from what seems like a dream job now that Michigan are winning.
Pairing Harbaugh with a top young quarterback is one option for a road forward, while another is to land the coach and then try to trade for someone like Russell Wilson.
