Jim Harbaugh believes he will stay in Ann Arbor and coach the Michigan football team next season.
Amid rumors and speculation that Harbaugh was interested in an NFL head coaching position, with The Athletic reporting a source close to Harbaugh believes his departure from Michigan for the NFL was a “done deal if he gets an offer,” the leader of the Wolverines issued a statement on Thursday to announce he expects to remain with the program.
A Michigan Man through and through.#GoBlue pic.twitter.com/ZLZiCSw8AG
— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) January 5, 2023
“I am aware of the rumors and speculation over the past few days,” Harbaugh said. “College and NFL teams have great interest in all our personnel, from players to coaches to staff, and I truly believe that is a testament to the strength of our University of Michigan football program.
“As I stated in December, while no one knows what the future holds, I expect that I will be enthusiastically coaching Michigan in 2023. I have spoken with President Santa Ono and Athletic Director Warde Manuel and appreciate their support of me and our program. Our mission as Wolverines continues, and we are preparing for the 2023 season with great passion and enthusiasm. As our legendary coach Bo Schembechler said... ‘Those who stay will be champions.’”
Earlier this week, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos were interested in speaking with Harbaugh for their openings after he led Michigan to back-to-back wins over rival Ohio State as well as consecutive Big Ten championships and College Football Playoff appearances.
From NFL Now: #Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh figures to be in demand in the NFL... if he's truly interested. pic.twitter.com/Rnzj8mZUvN
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 2, 2023
The Panthers, Broncos and any other franchise that may have interest in Harbaugh will also look at his résumé as an NFL head coach. In four years of leading the San Francisco 49ers, he was 44-19-1 overall, with one trip to the Super Bowl and three appearances in the NFC Championship Game. After the 2014 season, in which San Francisco went 8-8 and missed the playoffs, Harbaugh returned to his alma mater to become Michigan’s head coach.
In eight years in Ann Arbor, Harbaugh has collected a 74-25 record. His best seasons leading the program have occurred over the last two years, in which the Wolverines went a combined 25-3 with CFP losses to eventual national champion Georgia in 2021 and TCU in 2022.
Harbaugh interviewed to become the Minnesota Vikings’ head coach last February but was not offered the position. He later labeled his attempt to pursue an NFL job as a "one-time thing," per the Detroit Free Press. Still, he didn’t firmly close the door on pursuing an NFL job again this year in his statement Thursday, though it appears most likely that Harbaugh will remain with the Wolverines for a ninth season.
According to The Athletic’s Nicole Auerbach, Harbaugh’s statement Thursday comes as Michigan prepares to receive a Notice of Allegations following an NCAA investigation into the program. Auerbach described those infractions as “relatively minor,” including an analyst coaching players on the field and text messages that violated NCAA rules, but said the investigation “centers on the program’s response to such violations” and “it is unclear what the punishment from the NCAA would be.”
NEWS: The Michigan football program has been under NCAA investigation & expects to receive a Notice of Allegations by Friday, source told @TheAthletic. Source says its relatively minor infractions but investigation also centers on the programs response: https://t.co/nxdbNHpHv4
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) January 5, 2023
