The Michigan Insider’s Sam Webb joined CBS Sports HQ this morning to react to Jim’s Harbaugh’s latest flirtation with the NFL Host Brandon Baylor had three primary questions: 1.) How real is the threat of Harbaugh’s departure after interviews with the Los Angeles Chargers and the Atlanta Falcons? 2.) Does he require an “immunity clause” in his contract to remain at Michigan? And 3.)who will replace him in Ann Arbor if he goes to the league?
In the latest installments of “The 3R Report”, details of Harbaugh’s salary requirements and insight on the types of NFL front office scenarios he might find appealing were shared. Based on that and other intel, Webb assessed how concerned Michigan should be about losing its coach to the pros.
“I think this is a threat level greater than last season,” said Webb. “I think it’s on par with the Minnesota year. So, that was after the 2021 season. I think (Harbaugh) went to that interview with the thought that he was going to get the job. It wound up being an actual interview, and things fell apart for whatever reason. But I think at that point that he was really thinking that he was going to go. And I think that (his interest in returning to the NFL) is like that because he won a championship. He did everything that he said he was going to do (at Michigan), and he has a parallel dream of winning a Super Bowl.”
“I think that Michigan fans… maybe even some in the admin… are stuck in a rut of thinking that there’s something that could have been done that would make him just shelve the NFL consideration henceforth and forevermore. I just don’t think that’s going to happen. Even if Jim Harbaugh stays at Michigan and signs a lucrative extension that makes him the highest paid coach in all of college football… which is on the table… even if that extension is signed, I think we’ll be back here next year talking about, (assuming) the NFL is interested, him listening. Because he has a parallel dream and he’s shown that he can compartmentalize. In a lot of places and with a lot of coaches this would be such a distraction that it would mitigate your performance (and) you away from achieving the bottom line. Clearly it hasn’t for Jim Harbaugh. He’s had dalliances with the NFL after each of the last three seasons. All they’ve done in that time is win three straight over Ohio State, win three straight outright Big 10 championships for the first time in program history, and win a national championship. So, he’s shown that even with that NFL dalliance going on, even with that parallel dream and the door being left open to it, he can still achieve at a high level at Michigan.”
“So, definitely (Michigan) should be concerned. I still think that they have a decent chance of keeping him, but the threat is real. And if an NFL team is willing to give him a combination of the money he is seeking and the level of control that I think he probably wants, then I think he’ll go.”
