Jim Harbaugh, the coach of Michigan, is reportedly interviewing with the Vikings.
The possibility of Jim Harbaugh leaving Michigan to return to the NFL just got a bit more real.
The current Michigan head coach is interviewing with the Minnesota Vikings about their vacant head coach position, according to Angelique Chengelis of The Detroit News and Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. This is Harbaugh’s first known interview for a head coaching job this cycle.
The Vikings are planning to fly Harbaugh to Minnesota for an interview on Wednesday, according to the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.The #Vikings plan to fly in Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh for an interview Wednesday in Minnesota, per sources.The sides spoke Saturday to gauge Harbaugh’s interest in the head coaching job. Now, another big step towards Harbaugh potentially returning to the NFL.#Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 1, 2022
The news comes a few days after the Vikings hired former Cleveland Browns vice president Kwesi Adofo-Mensah as their new general manager. Adofo-Mensah and Harbaugh have a two-year history of working together, back when Harbaugh was the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers and Adofo-Mensah was the team’s manager of football research and development.
Both the Vikings’ head coach and general manager positions were open after the firing of Mike Zimmer and Rick Spielman after a disappointing 8-9 season.
Will Jim Harbaugh make the NFL leap again?
It has been speculated for years that Harbaugh may return to the NFL, where he held a 44-19 record with a Super Bowl appearance in his first season with the 49ers, but last season was really the first one in which Michigan saw enough success for the idea to be taken seriously.
The Wolverines advanced to the College Football Playoff for the first time in the format’s history and earned their first Big Ten title since 2004; nevertheless, they were crushed 34-11 by eventual national winner Georgia. With a 12-2 record at the end, Michigan was rated third in the final AP Poll.
This cycle, Harbaugh’s name has been bandied about a lot for head coaching positions, particularly with the Miami Dolphins (owned by Michigan alum Stephen Ross) and Las Vegas Raiders. Some speculated that Harbaugh would be headed to Miami after Brian Flores was fired, but the billionaire made it plain he had no intention of hiring the coach from his institution elsewhere.
