Jim Harbaugh Takes Thinly Veiled Shot At San Francisco 49ers

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh is relishing his time in college being able to run the program he was a part of as a player so long ago.

However, like any natural born competitor he also has regrets about the past. The man has never won a title and his greatest opportunity came with the San Francisco 49ers between 2011 and 2013 when he led them to three-straight NFC championships and a Super Bowl. However, despite all that success his run only lasted another season through 2014. Four in total. Hard to believe when one really thinks about it.

There were constant rumors of in-fighting within the building. An apparent rift between him and former GM Trent Baalke. Likely over direction and composition of the team roster. Not to mention how Harbaugh himself conducted business given his somewhat bombastic style. The situation deteriorated despite success on the field until finally there was a mutual “parting of ways.” Harbaugh left for Michigan. Almost immediately the 49ers began a freefall into ineptitude.

At the time the head coach avoided questions about what happened, but now secure in his new job he apparently couldn’t resist taking a shot at his former employer. It came during a podcast interview with Tim Kawakimi of The Mercury News.

"“I don’t think that I was there long enough to be compared with Bill Walsh or Coach Seifert,” Harbaugh said. “… Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think we did set a record for coaching there the longest under the present ownership. I take pride in that. Maybe there should be an endurance medal, a courage medal for that.”"

This would seem to indicate that it wasn’t just Baalke that was the problem in San Francisco but team owner Jed York as well. Harbaugh isn’t wrong in his assessment either. Since York joined the franchise in 2005, it has never employed a head coach for longer than four seasons.

• Mike Nolan (3.5 seasons)
• Mike Singletary (2.5 seasons)
• Jim Harbaugh (4 seasons)
• Jim Tomsula (1 season)
• Chip Kelly (1 season)

By the sound of things Harbaugh is mocking the organization for its lack of direction and poor management. Indeed it’s hard to argue with. York took over the team in 2008 when it was already almost complete for the run it would make a few years later. Since his influence has grown, things have only gotten worse until the 49ers finally bottomed out this past season at a dismal 2-14.

One can only imagine how much satisfaction Harbaugh felt watching it unfold from his comfy office up in Ann Arbor. Perhaps down the road he may like to rub a little more salt in the wound by returning to the NFL and getting that championship they didn’t let him keep chasing.