There have been rumors for the past few days that Jim Harbaugh was the favorite to land the head coaching job for the Denver Broncos. The Broncos held a virtual interview with Harbaugh on Monday night, which lasted more than two hours.
Then, two days later, out of the blue, the Broncos interviewed former Standford coach David Shaw. It was verbiage that many analysts and fans alike wondered if it was an appearance as a potential offensive coordinator hired under a potential Harbaugh regime in Denver.
That brings us to Thursday and the wet blanket University of Michigan President Santa Ono threw at Broncos Country when he took to Twitter.
“I[‘m] pleased to share that I have had very positive and constructive conversations with our Athletic Director and Football Coach. Warde Manuel and I want to see Jim Harbaugh remain head football coach of the University of Michigan Wolverines,” Ono tweeted.
Not long after, Harbaugh himself released a statement via the Wolverines’ social media accounts, giving yet another lukewarm assurance to Michigan fans that he will remain in the NCAA.
“I fully support President Ono’s message to our fans and appreciate his support of me and the team,” said Harbaugh.
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The Harbaugh-is-staying-in-Michigan buzz didn’t end there, though. John U. Bacon’s The New York Times newspaper tweeted that his Michigan sources think Harbaugh’s chances of staying are growing.
“Sources confirm what seems increasingly apparent: Harbaugh’s chances of remaining at UM are growing by the hour. Not done yet, but appears to be heading in that direction,” Bacon tweeted.
Juxtapose this sudden public relations push to keep Harbaugh at Michigan with consistent reports from sources close to the coach that he is set on returning to the NFL. The most recent report on the matter came from the athleticis Mike Sando.
“He’ll go to Denver,” predicted a former Harbaugh associate, speaking on condition of anonymity. “He’s not thinking about any of that. It will just catch on, in my opinion. He thought he’d get the Vikings job last year and he didn’t.
Harbaugh’s two halfhearted attempts to appease Wolverines fans that he is not leaving Michigan is another crucial factor in this calculation. Here’s what he said last week.
“As I stated in December, although no one knows what the future holds, I look forward to coaching Michigan with enthusiasm in 2023.”
Way to let yourself go, coach. Indeed, the future is hazy, but only if it is because Harbaugh does not intend to honor his current contract with Michigan. Who knows? Maybe he’s trying to turn this NFL scrutiny into a pay raise in Michigan.
It doesn’t seem like that’s the goal, though. For some reason, Harbaugh is feeling the pull back in the NFL. Maybe it’s a matter of unfinished business. Although Harbaugh coached the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl, he failed to beat them.
More likely, the NFL’s fascination with Harbaugh is about money. He is expected to earn $7,050,000 with Michigan this year after signing a five-year extension last spring worth $36 million.
While a salary of $7 million would compete with an average NFL coach, the Broncos’ new ownership group has the wherewithal to make a head coach the highest paid in league history. The Walton/Penner group is rumored to be willing to pay up to $20 million a year for an elite trainer.
Whether it’s a Harbaugh or a Sean Payton, obviously, figures of that magnitude would command the attention of any connected coach. The Broncos will meet Payton in Los Angeles on Tuesday in person.
While the Broncos have interviewed other head coach candidates and plan to talk to more, it looks like this race is coming down to Harbaugh and Payton. For now, Harbaugh is keeping Michigan at bay as he waits to see how the Broncos situation consolidates next week.
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