Well, well, well… looks like Michigan is pulling out all the stops so that they can get back relevant. Jim Harbaugh just may be a great fit for them.
via SB Nation
Michigan has reportedly found its man to replace Brady Hoke. Former Wolverines quarterback Jim Harbaugh will be hired to lead his alma mater, according to Michigan author John U. Bacon, as the Wolverines were able to lure him away from the NFL and his contentious yet successful run with the San Francisco 49ers. This follows a report by Brian Cook of MGoBlog that set the likelihood of Harbaugh’s return to Ann Arbor at 99 percent.
“Jim Harbaugh is coming to Michigan,” Bacon tweeted Sunday night, “and his friends are flying in Monday.”
Update, December 28: Harbaugh and the 49ers have “mutually parted ways,” according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. That language could be key for Michigan, since it could confirm the reports that the Niners would not force Michigan to pay his buyout, in order to help keep him away from another NFL team. Multiple NFL reporters said Sunday that the Raiders still hope to try for him.
“Jim Harbaugh’s family is flying to Ann Arbor Monday,” FOX Sports’ Bruce Feldman tweeted earlier Sunday. “Harbaugh will be Wolverines new head coach.”
He was reportedly offered a six-year, $48 million deal, which would make him the highest-paid college coach in the country if true.
Harbaugh was often touted as the dream hire for Michigan, due to his connections with the school and his success at every single coaching spot. In 2013, Harbaugh said Ann Arbor was his “favorite place to live,” and his family and friends had reportedly been encouraging him to take the Michigan job. The Michigan community was also in support of hiring Harbaugh, as prominent names all spoke out in favor of the move.
