Jim Harbaugh finally reached the top of the mountain. 

Nine years after arriving in Ann Arbor as the new head coach at Michigan, the former Wolverines quarterback led his team to the College Football Playoff again and delivered the school’s first National Championship since 1997 with a 34-13 win over Washington last week in Houston. 

Now that all of the confetti has fallen and a parade has been had, Harbaugh’s future is once again in doubt. There have been reports of contract hold-ups due to specific clauses and assurances against future disciplinary action or for-cause firings. 

And we know there’s at least some serious interest in the NFL again, with Harbaugh interviewing for the Atlanta Falcons job this week. It’s all been par for the course of what’s been a wild return journey to the college game. 

It wasn’t always a smooth road. Harbaugh invites attention because there’s truly no one else like him in a sport where conformity is the norm. 

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There were the Twitter spats in the early years, more serious allegations and suspensions of late, and a constant stream of wacky sound bites and oddball mannerisms that lead one to wonder if this guy is just a total nutjob. 

Ultimately, none of it mattered more than the one fundamental truth that seems to comprise the entirety of Harbaugh’s existence – the man knows the ball. And he wins wherever he goes. 

After leading the San Francisco 49ers to three straight NFC Championships and a Super Bowl appearance, he took over at his Alma Mater and compiled an 89-25 record culminating with the title game win over the Huskies. 

Through much doubt and controversy, Harbaugh unapologetically pushed on and reached the promised land of a nearly decade-long journey. Naturally, it only took a few minutes after the trophy presentation for someone to ask the big question – What’s next?

Jim Harbaugh 2024 Team Odds

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Will Harbaugh Stay At Michigan Or Explore The NFL?

Harbaugh didn’t bite when asked about the future. But with contract talks on hold in Ann Arbor and several tempting NFL vacancies, there will come a time very soon when he needs to come down from the high of the moment and map out his future. 

For all the reasons to stay at Michigan – the deep family ties, the unlimited resources, and his now-untouchable status on campus – there are plenty of reasons to believe Harbaugh will seriously explore other options. 

By all accounts, he and Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel don’t always see eye-to-eye. Manuel did speak out against the Big Ten for its decision to suspend Harbaugh for the final three games of the regular season, but it may have been too little too late. 

Keep in mind that Michigan already self-imposed a three-game suspension for Harbaugh to start the regular season due to NCAA recruiting violations. There’s also the possibility of further sanctions once the NCAA concludes its current investigation into the more recent sign-stealing allegations. 

Even if you remove all those factors, making the jump back to the NFL is undoubtedly tempting.

Harbaugh is as competitive as it gets and would have the chance to become just the fourth coach in history to win a National Championship and a Super Bowl. While the Falcons do have talent – and are potentially interested in acquiring a quarterback via free agency – Los Angeles remains the most attractive job for now should he leave Ann Arbor. 

Harbaugh played for the Chargers for two seasons towards the end of his career. He’s also more than familiar with the region having coached at the University of San Diego and Stanford from 2004-2010. Most importantly, there’s a legit quarterback in Justin Herbert, with whom Harbaugh has to feel he could win immediately. 

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Harbaugh also spent seven years with the Bears as a quarterback and the franchise is desperate for any semblance of sustainable success. The Bears haven’t won a playoff game since 2010 and Harbaugh would own the city if he showed up and turned things around in 2024. But it sounds like Chicago is planning to stick with Matt Eberflus for another year, at least. 

Other NFL vacancies include the Raiders and Titans, who made a surprising move by firing Mike Vrabel after a disappointing 6-11 season. 

The thing is, Harbaugh will likely have his pick of teams should he choose to make the NFL leap once again. He has all the leverage now. If he does leave Ann Arbor, he’ll have a good reason and a clear vision of what he wants to accomplish. 

And, almost certainly, he will continue to win.