Shutterstock
Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan Wolverines are on top of the college football world following a convincing 34-13 win over the Washington Huskies to claim the school’s first outright college football national championship since 1948.
The Wolverines rode a dominant rushing attack — led by running back Blake Corum’s 134-yard, 2 touchdown performance — and a strong defensive effort that stymied Heisman finalist Michael Penix Jr. and the Huskies’ offense en route to the victory after a tumultuous season.
The question now is: What does the future hold for Coach Harbaugh?
Harbaugh has done his best to avoid speculation about a potential move to the NFL, but that hasn’t stopped the pundits and reporters from discussing a possible return.
Now, UM athletic director Warde Manuel is weighing in on what the future could hold for the highly sought-after coach in Ann Arbor.
After the win, Manuel spoke to reporters to discuss what is next for the Wolverines and Harbaugh, making it clear that Michigan will do what it can to keep Harbaugh in Ann Arbor.
“He’s always going to be somebody I’m proud of who coached the University of Michigan, who led this team,” Manuel said. “And if he decides that he wants another opportunity to coach in the pros, then I’m going to be happy for him. Sad for us. We’re going to move on and find the next person to lead. But I want him to stay at Michigan. I’ve said it. I believed it three, four years ago when people wanted me to get rid of him. I didn’t because I believed it then and I believe it now.”
Harbaugh has proven time and time again that he is one of the best coaches at any level, and he consistently wins.
Because of that, Manuel understands why the NFL could come calling.
“I understand why people in the pros will want to hire Jim Harbaugh and talk to him about being a coach,” Manuel said. “The man went to a Super Bowl, won a conference championship, went to the Super Bowl, went back to the conference championship in that league. How many (coaches) did they (the NFL) fire (Monday)? How many are gone now? Five, six? That’s like an annual thing.”
“And if I was in the pros, I would want to talk to him because of what he accomplished. However, I’m not in the pros, and I want to keep him as our coach.”
During his time at Michigan, Harbaugh compiled a 40-3 record, three consecutive Big Ten Titles, and three College Football Playoff appearances. The Wolverines are undefeated in the regular season since 2021.
Harbaugh has been linked to several job openings in the NFL — most notably the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders — so the opportunity to return to the league where he once led the San Francisco 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance will be there, we will just have to wait and see whether Harbaugh is ready to move on from the college ranks and return to the pros.
