Jim Harbaugh received significant interest during the 2022 NFL head coach hiring cycle. There were rumors around him going to the Las Vegas Raiders early in the offseason, and he recently interviewed with the Minnesota Vikings to fill their head coach vacancy.
Harbaugh's candidacy with several teams and renegotiating of his contract almost left the University of Michigan out to dry. He reportedly no-showed a meeting with Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel where they would have discussed his future as the Wolverines' head coach.
If Harbaugh became the Vikings‘ head coach, it would have sent shockwaves through college football and forced Michigan into panic mode. Minnesota, though, was the one who set everything back in place. According to The Athletic's Nick Baumgardner, Harbaugh didn't receive an offer from the Vikings, which prompted him to return to Michigan:
Harbaugh put Michigan through a stressful, unpredictable and potentially momentum-crushing “will-he or won’t-he” guess-fest about his NFL desires. Michigan administrators, most football staffers and others associated with the program were unsure about his intentions for weeks, at minimum.
This continued until Wednesday, when Harbaugh interviewed in Minnesota for the Vikings’ head-coaching job … on signing day, no less. After leaving Minnesota’s facility (without a job offer, multiple sources told The Athletic), Harbaugh called Manuel and said he’d be back at Michigan for an eighth season in 2022.
The Vikings didn't offer anything to Harbaugh because they have zeroed in on Kevin O'Connell, the offensive coordinator for the Super Bowl-bound Los Angeles Rams. Harbaugh and the Raiders didn't seem to get very far. Las Vegas hired New England Patriots OC Josh McDaniels in the end.
Harbaugh, meanwhile, will get the chance to get Michigan back into the College Football Playoff. His contract, as it stands, takes him through the 2025 season in Ann Arbor.
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