I’m Conflicted About Jim Harbaugh Staying or Going Back To The NFL
As the NFL season has wrapped up, there are so many rumors flying around regarding who's is going to go coach what team where. As this is being written, there are at least five NFL job openings, but the only one that interests me is the one to the west, in Chicago. Yes, the big question for me is, is Jim Harbaugh interested in coaching the Chicago Bears.
After having fired their general manager and their coach, 'da Bears are starting pretty much at square one. And while I'm sure they'll conduct a thorough search, one name keeps popping up. Jim Harbaugh. Yes, the coach at the University of Michigan. Does he even want to go back to the NFL, who knows? But it's an intriguing possibility, especially with the owner of the Miami Dolphins, Stephen Ross, a major big-pockets alum of the U of M, today saying, yes, he's looking for a coach but he's not going to steal one from his alma mater.
And here's where I'm conflicted as a Bear fan. Sure, Harbaugh is a Michigan alum, but he's also a Bears alum, having played seven of his fourteen seasons in Chicago. On the plus side, he's fiery, like his first NFL coach, Mike Ditka. But in the pros, fiery only goes so far. That said, the Bears need a coach who can mentor a young quarterback. Harbaugh not only was a young NFL quarterback, but he also coached a young Colin Kaepernick to a Super Bowl when he led the San Francisco 49'ers to Super Bowl XLVII, but lost to his brother John's Baltimore Ravens.
Now I wasn't there, but everything you read says after how that Super Bowl Harbaugh had worn out his welcome with the 49'ers. Who knows? It's an ego-driven business. Still, in college, you get a whole new set of players every four or so years.
Gut feeling? Harbaugh gets a big raise and stays in Ann Arbor.
Harbaugh's almost 60. One more shot at the Super Bowl? The NFL has more than a few coaches older than Harbaugh, and most have been very successful. It'll be fun to see how this plays out.