A few things are simultaneously true with regards to Jim Harbaugh: No matter what happens this offseason, he's a Michigan legend. And there's still a chance he stays in Ann Arbor .
Harbaugh and the Wolverines just completed a 15-0 season, capped off with a national championship win over Washington in Houston . No sooner had the confetti fallen on the field than the annual Harbaugh-to-the-NFL rumors commenced .
The Michigan coach has interviewed with the Los Angeles Chargers and Atlanta Falcons for their vacant head coach positions. A move to L.A. would mark a return west for Harbaugh, after he spent time 13 years coaching in California over four jobs before coming to Michigan. The Chargers are desperately chasing the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West, and they'll undoubtedly look for a splashy hire. No hire would be splashier than Harbaugh, who has found success in both college and the NFL.
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Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel, amid a myriad of contract extension rumors, said he is "working on getting [Harbaugh] a new contract." Whatever happens with Harbaugh, the other shoe will have to drop sooner rather than later.
Here's a look at the latest around Harbaugh.
Date: Tuesday, Jan. 23
Source: NFL Network
Mike Garafolo reports "this feels like we're now in the zone where something could happen between the Chargers and Jim Harbaugh in the near future." He says the Chargers have made "an extremely strong offer financially," and, if the main principles are agreed to, it's now about finding a general manager and coaching staff to surround Harbaugh's return to the West Coast and the NFL. —Marlowe Alter
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Date: Monday, Jan. 22
Source: ESPN
Harbaugh is expected to meet with the Chargers for a second time, this coming week. Harbaugh has numerous west coast ties , having coached in California across four different jobs from 2002-14. Harbaugh is the Chargers' first candidate known to have scheduled a second interview, ESPN reports, among the 15 head coaching candidates they have interviewed. —Marlowe Alter
Date:Saturday, Jan. 20
Source:NFL Network and ESPN
Atlanta also reportedly had a second interview with legendary coach Bill Belichick, who parted ways with New England . The news of Harbaugh and Atlanta came as the U-M coach visited Baltimore to watch his brother, John, coach the Ravens to a win over the Houston Texans in the NFL playoffs.
Date:Tuesday, Jan. 16
Source: Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons finished 7-10 for the third straight season while bouncing between 2022 third-round pick Desmond Ridder and veteran Taylor Heinicke at quarterback. Harbaugh's experience with QBs could come in handy for a team with multiple high draft picks (TE Kyle Pitts , RB Bijan Robinson , WR Drake London ) already a part of its offense.
Date:Monday, Jan. 15
Source: Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers announced they completed an interview with Harbaugh on Monday. Harbaugh has extensive coaching ties to the West Coast , having worked two years as an assistant with the Oakland Raiders (2002-03), before landing his first head coach job at the college level with San Diego (2004-06), then moving to Stanford (2007-10) and then guiding the San Francisco 49ers (2011-14).
Date:Monday, Jan. 15
Source: Adam Schefter, ESPN
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Monday that Harbaugh is interviewing for the Los Angeles Chargers' coaching vacancy on Monday. Schefter also noted a decision is not considered imminent for either side, stating Harbaugh will be "deliberate" with his options.
Los Angeles also plans to speak with other candidates, per Schefter.
Date:Saturday, Jan. 13
Source: Tom Pelissero, NFL Network
While Nick Saban retired and Kalen DeBoer went to Alabama, Harbaugh finds himself on a different carousel. Year in and year out, Harbaugh has drawn rumors about going to the NFL, but he ultimately has remained in Ann Arbor. Now, with his stock higher than ever, the ball is in his court.
Date:Tuesday, Jan. 16
Source: Dan Wetzel, Yahoo Sports
After interviewing with the Chargers, Harbaugh still remains engaged in contract negotiations with Michigan, and is requesting language in the contract that would provide him immunity from multiple current NCAA investigations around the football program, according to Yahoo Sports' Dan Wetzel.
Wetzel also reports Harbaugh is asking for a delay in his start date, which in effect would lower his buyout for NFL teams to potentially hire him away from Ann Arbor.
Date:Monday, Jan. 15
Source:John U. Bacon
According to John U. Bacon, Michigan and Harbaugh have hit a roadblock in negotiations. While money isn't so much the issue at this point, the clauses are reportedly a sticking point: Specifically what Harbaugh should be considered immune to as numerous NCAA investigations swirl.
Harbaugh and Michigan were served notice for Level II recruiting violations and a Level I violation for misleading investigators in December. The university self-imposed a three-game suspension on Harbaugh earlier this year, but the book is yet to be closed. Negotiations will, of course, continue.
Date: Saturday, Jan. 13
Source:Warde Manuel
As Michigan celebrated its title Saturday, there were repeated cheers and chants from Michigan fans to keep Harbaugh with the Wolverines. Michigan AD Warde Manuel promised the gathered crowd he was working on a Harbaugh extension .
Harbaugh, for his part, clapped when Manuel said it, though it's undoubtedly his new high-profile agent doing most of the talking.
INSIDER: Warde Manuel is dealing with the cost of Jim Harbaugh's success and it's not easy
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Jim Harbaugh NFL rumors, contract updates: Latest on Michigan coach
