John Harbaugh has a direct line into the most-watched man in football, but he doesn't know which way that man will move next. Likely because Jim Harbaugh himself doesn't know what he'll do next.
Fresh off delivering his alma mater's first national championship since 1997, Jim could return to Michigan as one of the highest-paid coaches in the game or return to the NFL in search of a Super Bowl.
“I’m not sure what Jim’s plans are. I think whatever he does, it’ll be what’s best for him and his family,” John Harbaugh said Thursday. “I know Michigan has been a joy for him to go back to his alma mater. His family loves it there. The players love him. He loves the players, coaches [and] the fan base. I don’t know exactly what direction he’s going to go. I would think that the [university] President and the Board of Trustees would be doing everything that they can to try and keep him. That’d be priority No. 1 if I was them, but I think at the end he’s going to do whatever’s best for him and his family.
“He loves Michigan, but he loves the NFL, too. So, we’ll just have to see.”
Harbaugh has interviewed with the Los Angeles Chargers and Atlanta Falcons this week. Others could be in the offing.
Should he return to the NFL, Harbaugh could put himself on two historic lists. Only seven men have taken two teams to the Super Bowl, and only three have won championships in the college and the NFL. Harbaugh would be the only coach to do both.
He could also cement himself as the best turnaround artist in football history, having already done so at San Diego, Stanford, San Francisco and now Michigan.
"I think he's the best coach in football," the unbiased observer said.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.