Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh could have a decision to make following his team's 34-13 win vs. Washington in Monday's College Football Playoff National Championship. As he has each of the past two years, Harbaugh is expected to draw serious interest from NFL teams searching for a new leader. Those talks are sure to reach a fever pitch after the Wolverines' recent run.
UM athletic director Warde Manuel, who was richly rewarded for his decision to stand by Harbaugh after a particularly rough 2-4 season in 2020, understands the reality of the situation. Speaking with reporters on the field at NRG Stadium in Houston after Michigan's victory over the Huskies, he was blunt in addressing Harbaugh's future.
"He's always going to be somebody I'm proud of who coached the University of Michigan, who led this team," Manuel said. "And if he decides that he wants another opportunity to coach in the pros, then I'm going to be happy for him. Sad for us. We're going to move on and find the next person to lead. But I want him to stay at Michigan. I've said it. I believed it three, four years ago when people wanted me to get rid of him. I didn't because I believed it then and I believe it now."
It's no wonder why NFL teams would be hard in pursuit of Harbaugh's services. He's reformed Michigan into a powerhouse program, with a 40-3 record, with three consecutive Big Ten titles and three College Football Playoff appearances in the past three seasons. The Wolverines haven't lost a regular season game under his guidance since 2021.
Plus, he's already a proven commodity at the NFL level. As the coach of the San Francisco 49ers from 2011-14, Harbaugh compiled a 44-19 record and took his team to the Super Bowl after an 11-4-1 season in 2021. He's just one of two active coaches, with the Seattle Seahawks' Pete Carroll, to make both a Super Bowl appearance and win a college football national championship.
"I understand why people in the pros will want to hire Jim Harbaugh and talk to him about being a coach," Manuel said. "The man went to a Super Bowl, won a conference championship, went to the Super Bowl, went back to the conference championship in that league. How many (coaches) did they (the NFL) fire (Monday)? How many are gone now? Five, six? That's like an annual thing."
"And if I was in the pros, I would want to talk to him because of what he accomplished. However, I'm not in the pros, and I want to keep him as our coach."
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