Broncos To Interview Jim Harbaugh, Panthers Don’t Seem Interested

According to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, the Broncos will interview Michigan HC Jim Harbaugh virtually early this coming week. 

The two say Denver is looking to swing big and add a coach with a lot of experience and Harbaugh checks a lot of boxes for them. In addition to their interest in former Saints HC Sean Payton, Rapoport and Pelissero add Denver wants to discuss their vacancy with Cowboys DC Dan Quinn and current DC Ejiro Evero.

As for the Panthers, the other team linked to Harbaugh this past week, Jonathan Jones reports that was mostly initiated by Harbaugh and his agent, who worked persistently to set up a call with owner Dave Tepper. 

However, Jones says it was not a job interview and Tepper is wary of Harbaugh after hearing “odd” things about his interview with the Vikings last year. 

Rapoport and Pelissero add Michigan could make all of this go away with a new, lucrative extension that fully recompenses Harbaugh after the pay cut he agreed to a couple of years ago. They say there have been some discussions but nothing concrete. 

Meanwhile, Harbaugh’s flirtation with the NFL has been prominent. His statement he released last week to affirm his commitment to Michigan was phrased carefully to not be definitive, “While no one knows what the future holds, I expect that I will be enthusiastically coaching Michigan in 2023.”

Another report says Harbaugh is expected to take an NFL job if it’s offered. 

Harbaugh drew interest from the Vikings last year and appeared to be a finalist for the job before they hired Kevin O’Connell. Minnesota never made Harbaugh an offer and he signed an extension with Michigan, saying at the time he was done flirting with the NFL. 

Harbaugh, 59, was a first-round pick out of Michigan by the Bears in 1987. He played 14 years in the league before becoming a coach, first with the Raiders. He was hired by San Diego as head coach in 2004 and took the same position with Stanford in 2007. 

The 49ers hired Harbaugh as their head coach in 2007. He was fired in 2014 and hired as head coach at Michigan. 

During his four years with the 49ers, he led them to a record of 44-19-1 (69.5 percent), which included three playoff appearances and an NFC Championship.

At Michigan, Harbaugh’s teams have produced a record of 74-25 (71.8 percent). That includes a 1-6 record in bowl games and two trips to the College Football Playoff. 

We’ll have more on Harbaugh as the news is available.