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Jim Harbaugh is coming off his best season with the Michigan Wolverines, even though it ended shortly and disastrously. This year, 2021, was Harbaugh's seventh season with the Wolverines, and he took them all the way to the CFP Semi-finals as the #2 seed at 12-2. After a 34-11 loss to the Georgia Bulldogs (most of their points came in garbage time), Jim Harbaugh's future with Michigan began being questioned by the media and fans.
Would Jim Harbaugh leave Michigan and return to the NFL in 2022?
For starters, there has been major speculation that Jim Harbaugh was linked to the head coaching job for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022. Since Jon Gruden resigned, Rich Bisaccia has been the interim head coach. However, the Raiders seem to be looking elsewhere for a full-time head coach. After the loss to Georgia, Jim Harbaugh spoke to the press and offered up some clarity on the speculation:
"It was a great season. To me, it's one of the best seasons in Michigan football, and we were trying to make it greater tonight. It's still a beginning for this team. It's where it began last year, and it'll begin anew this year."
Harbaugh didn't flat out say there is no chance he would return to the Raiders or the NFL. For now, Michigan can believe that Jim Harbaugh will be around in 2022, but we've seen coaches save face in front of the cameras before and then leave the program shortly after. One thing is for certain, though: Jim Harbaugh will receive several offers from NFL teams in the offseason.
Back in 2002, Jim Harbaugh began his coaching career with the Raiders as the quarterback coach. This, eventually, led to him being the head coach for the University of San Diego, Stanford, and the San Francisco 49ers. Although he once mentioned he would coach for his alma mater (University of Michigan) for free, NFL teams are willing and able to throw millions at him. How much would it take for Harbuagh to return to the NFL and leave behind Michigan right as they become a contender?
In addition, NFL teams have to be aware of Harbaugh's style. He isn't known for showing up and providing amazing results in the first season. It took time for him to turn Michigan and Stanford into contenders. As for the 49ers, that was more luck with drafting Colin Kaepernick and the revolution of the RPO quarterbacks at that time. The Raiders don't really fit the bill to hire Harbaugh at this time. A team like the Carolina Panthers or Chicago Bears could benefit from Jim Harbuagh's slow, yet effective, process. For those who would want Jim Harbaugh to come to Jacksonville to save them, don't count on it with GM Trent Baalke calling the shots.
