The dream isn’t dead. But it could be on life support.
It’s starting to look like Jim Harbaugh won’t be heading to the New York Giants, if he decides to leave University of Michigan.
The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman reports “Multiple sources inside Michigan football told The Athletic this week that they think if Harbaugh is offered the Raiders head coaching job, he’d take it.”
This isn’t the first time Harbaugh has been linked to the Las Vegas Raiders, who are overhauling their team leadership following October’s resignation of head coach Jon Gruden and the firing earlier this week of general manager Mike Mayock.
The Giants also are looking for a new GM and head coach following last week’s retirement of Dave Gettleman and dismissal of Joe Judge.
And while Harbaugh hasn’t been linked directly to the Giants, New York can’t help but get sucked into the will-he-or-won’t-he drama that comes with the 58-year-old.
The Athletic’s Vic Tafur reports that “One person close to the situation in Michigan said Tuesday that the rumors could all be ‘hypothetical leverage’ for Harbaugh’s contract talks with the university. One well-placed NFL source was stronger, calling a Harbaugh-Raiders connection ‘total noise.’”
On Tuesday, The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner reported “So it’s my understanding Michigan and Jim Harbaugh have had productive talks on a new deal/competitive offer-package has been made. At this point, it’s about what Harbaugh wants to do. Michigan, as I understand it, welcomes JH at UM. But some at M wonder if he’s torn about NFL.”
The New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard painted a different picture over the weekend:
I was extremely interested to learn from reliable sources that 1) Harbaugh’s NFL interest is genuine and that 2) the Giants’ vacancy intrigues him and he’d pick up the phone if they called. ... Sources familiar with his thinking do not believe Harbaugh would try to control the organization he joined. He would simply prioritize and value stability in the owners’ and GM’s suites to let him do his job on the field.
Last week, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter joined Adam Schein on Mad Dog Sports Radio to discuss Harbaugh’s future. And Schefter, a Michigan alum, said it would take a “Godfather” deal to get Harbaugh to leave Ann Arbor. Per 247Sports:
“Look, Jim Harbaugh is a tough guy to predict,” Schefter said to Schein. “And I don’t like absolutes at this time of the year because things change on a moment’s notice. But if you’re asking my opinion today … I would say he’s more likely than not to stay. Unless he gets an offer from an NFL team he can’t refuse. Now, is there going to be an NFL team out there that comes at him so hard with so much money with such a good situation? That they’re going to make it such that he can say no, and that could happen? It could, but I will say this to you, Adam. I was saying about a month ago, there was all sorts of scuttlebutt, and then I think it came out last week, some of the things I heard, and … I think he’s further down the line towards staying than he is leaving. But I also know that it could change like that. ... (I think Harbaugh is) more inclined to stay at Michigan. Now again, that could change. But that’s why I say initially my impression is more likely than not to stay, though you never can rule out an NFL team giving him an offer that he can’t refuse and if that happens, anything’s possible.”
Two weeks ago, ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg dropped this nugget:
“The Raiders are likeliest spot if JH wants to return to NFL. He started coaching career w/ Oak Raiders. Before Michigan, he and his wife lived on West Coast. I’d heard Giants job could have interested him if it was open.”
Why would Harbaugh be in demand? Remember, before heading to Michigan (where he just won the Big Ten title), he was head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, and led them to an appearance in Super Bowl XLVII.
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Mike Rosenstein may be reached at mrosenstein@njadvancemedia.com.
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