The Minnesota Vikings seemed to be closing in on Michigan's Jim Harbaugh to be their next head coach. Despite the Wolverines' success, rumors had been swirling seemingly all year about Harbaugh and a potential return to a head coaching job in the NFL. The Wolverines head coach interviewed with the Vikings- and was seemingly interested in the job but reportedly wasn't offered it. Harbaugh then informed Michigan that he would be returning next season and that was that. However, there's no denying that the Vikings made a critical error in not offering Harbaugh the head coaching job, given his ability as a proven winner, among other things. That said, here are two reasons why Minnesota made a massive mistake not offering Jim Harbaugh the head coaching job.

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2 Reasons Vikings Should Have Offered Job To Jim Harbaugh

2. Jim Harbaugh would have worked well with Kirk Cousins- or any quarterback

It's not clear if the Vikings would have kept quarterback Kirk Cousins if Harbaugh was brought in as the head coach. Whether it was Cousins, a free agent quarterback, or a young signal-caller taken in the draft, Harbaugh's track record suggests he would have done a good job with Minnesota's quarterback.

Harbaugh has worked well with quarterbacks in the past and has had an eye for talent. There was Josh Johnson, who Harbaugh signed back when he was the head coach at the University of San Diego. There was Andrew Luck, who Harbaugh recruited. There was Taysom Hill, who Harbaugh signed before the duel-threat signal-caller later enrolled at BYU. But it's not just college players.

Harbaugh helped turn former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith's career around. He also helped former Niners signal-caller Colin Kaepernick's development. Admittedly, a lot of these impressive accomplishments occurred quite a while ago, but the point is that Harbaugh has proved that he has an eye for talent and a knack for development at the quarterback position.

That would have greatly helped the Vikings if they ultimately decided to part ways with Cousins and look for a new franchise guy. However, the Vikings will always be left to wonder what could have been because they didn't even offer the veteran head coach a job.

1. Jim Harbaugh has had NFL experience- and success

Jim Harbaugh has not only had experience as an NFL head coach, but he has also had success. Harbaugh was hired as the 49ers head coach in 2011 and proceeded to rattle off three straight seasons with 11 or more wins, taking his team to the NFC Championship game and then the Super Bowl in back-to-back years. The only season where Harbaugh didn't win double-digit games was in 2014, when he went 8-8. The man is experienced, he's a winner and he knows what it takes to get to the big game in the biggest league. The Vikings are free to hand out a job offer to whoever they choose. Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell, seemingly the man for the job, is a deserving candidate. However, the fact that the Vikings seemingly didn't even want someone like Jim Harbaugh, who has won pretty much wherever he has gone, is a mystery.