The Jim Harbaugh Sweepstakes: Ranking His Top Landing Spots
By Erik Lambert
No head coaching candidate is going to be more hotly pursued than Jim Harbaugh. Here is a rundown of the top places he could land.
#5 – New York Jets
The benefits of this deal are hard to ignore. The New York Jets need somebody, anybody to solve their lingering quarterback problems and Harbaugh has proven in the past he can do that, both with Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick. He’s a motivator, much like Rex Ryan so he’ll be popular with the players and he’s proven he can hired good staffs. The fit is obvious, but it’s doubtful GM John Idzik will replace one headstrong coach with another.
#4 – Miami Dolphins
Owner Stephen Ross is reportedly a big fan of Harbaugh, which explains why the Miami Dolphins are considered a prime candidate to pursue him. Joe Philbin has lost the locker room and the team is plummeting to yet another near miss from the playoffs. The time for a change is at hand but they need somebody to further the development of quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
#3 – Chicago Bears
The connections are hard to ignore. Harbaugh was drafted by the Chicago Bears as a quarterback out of college. He has great respect for his former head coach, Mike Ditka and still loves the city. Fans would view him as a white knight riding into town to rescue them from the dull and lifeless era of Marc Trestman. Maybe he could even do something with Jay Cutler. It’s a nice homecoming type of story.
#2 – Michigan
College was where Jim Harbaugh built his reputation. People haven’t forgotten that. His success at Stanford has many programs itching to get a crack at him, but only one seems to have a legitimate shot, and that’s his alma mater at the University of Michigan. They’ve suffered through a string of mediocre coaches for a long time and desperately want to get back to respectability. Bringing in one of their own in Harbaugh would be a coup.
#1 – Oakland Raiders
All the sign point across the bay. Harbaugh’s family has no desire to leave San Francisco and the California atmosphere. So the best compromise would be to move across the bridge to join the Oakland Raiders, who seem dead set on making him their top off-season priority. The interest seems mutual and the Silver and Black have a good situation going at quarterback with Derek Carr.