Jim Harbaugh has got Michigan’s near-future on his mind following the Wolverines’ national championship win over the Washington Huskies on Monday night.
When speaking to ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt following Michigan’s 34-13 victory at NRG Stadium in Houston, Harbaugh — whose name continues to bubble up in NFL chatter — elaborated on the Wolverines’ impending springtime plans.
“We’re moving spring practice back. We usually start on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, because we love football, but this year we’re going to move it back. We’re going to move it back about a month,” the 60-year-old Harbaugh said.
“And that will be good too. We’ll have some nice weather in the spring in Ann Arbor.”
Jim Harbaugh celebrates Michigan’s national championship win on Jan. 8, 2024. Getty ImagesHarbaugh’s comments naturally fueled speculation about his next move.
“He’d be foolish to leave honestly, one X user remarked.
Another user mused, “Gotta push spring football back to give himself plenty of time for those NFL interviews.”
However, the decision would not be Harbaugh’s to make if he was coaching an NFL franchise.
Jim Harbaugh holds the national championship trophy following the Wolverines’ 34-13 victory over the Huskies. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters ConHarbaugh, who previously sidestepped questions about NFL coaching rumors en route to the Wolverines’ first national title since 1997, said Monday in a postgame presser he simply wants to “enjoy this” time.
“I just want to enjoy this. I just want to enjoy this… I hope you give me that…,” Harbaugh said, according to Awful Announcing. “Can a guy have that? Does it always have to be what’s next, what’s the future? Like I said the other day, I hope to have a future. Hope there’s a tomorrow, a day after tomorrow, a next week, a next month, a next year.”
Before returning to his alma mater Michigan in 2015, Harbaugh coached the 49ers from 2011-14.
Jim Harbaugh speaks in a postgame press conference following Michigan’s win. APHe coached the Niners to a Super Bowl berth in February 2013 and faced older brother John Harbaugh’s Ravens, with Baltimore winning the championship contest, 34-31.
Though Harbaugh has interviewed for NFL coaching jobs in recent years, the Vikings and Broncos, respectively, he’s remained in Ann Arbor.
Last month, NFL Network reported Harbaugh has received a 10-year, $125 million contract extension that includes a caveat in which the coach “would agree not to entertain or accept an NFL job for the 2024 season.”
There are six NFL head coaching vacancies — Commanders, Chargers, Falcons, Panthers, Raiders and Titans — as of Tuesday.
