A little less than a decade ago, Jim Harbaugh and the San Francisco 49ers ended their partnership. Now current 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan is singing Harbaugh's praises after the latter just won the College Football National Championship at Michigan.

Here's what Shanahan said about Harbaugh on a conference call on Tuesday, according to Grant Cohn of Sports Illustrated:

“I've gotten to know John Harbaugh a little bit better than Jim, just because I've gotten to interview with John a couple times and I've seen him at the owner's meetings. I have a pretty good relationship with him. Jim, I've talked on the phone with him a couple times. He hired a few people that worked for me earlier in my career, so I got to connect with him in that way. We've talked a few times over the years with college stuff and us scouting guys and crossing paths.

“I've always had a huge amount of respect for all the Harbaughs and how they carry themselves, the way they are as football coaches. I loved Jim when he was a player. It was so cool to watch him with the Colts — that was the time I really remember him. I've always been a huge fan and that was real cool to watch last night.”

Harbaugh may not return to the 49ers, but his Michigan football departure appears to have been written on the wall for a while now. Harbaugh, amid interest from the aforementioned teams, hired agent Don Yee to represent him. Yee represents the likes of Tom Brady, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton, making him quite the qualified representative for Harbaugh as he makes a seismic career shift.

As for Shanahan and the 49ers, they're matching up against the Miami Dolphins in the NFL Playoffs. Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel has become one of the most successful head coaches in the NFL. However, his genius offensive mind may only be topped by his mentor, Kyle Shanahan.