Despite a reported meeting with Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper about his head coaching job, Jim Harbaugh says he is likely to stay at the University of Michigan in 2023.
Harbaugh’s meeting with Tepper was not described as a formal interview, but the former San Francisco 49ers head coach would have drawn interest from other NFL teams.
However, he believes he will be in Ann Arbor for a ninth season.
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Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh watches the first half of a game against Maryland in Ann Arbor, Michigan on September 24, 2022.
(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
«Although no one knows the future, I think I will coach Michigan next year,» Harbaugh told the Queen City News.
Harbaugh was in talks with the Minnesota Vikings last year, but described it as «something unique» and said it would be the last time he would seek coaching opportunities in the NFL.
Carolina defensive tackle Derrick Brown said last week that «everyone» wants interim head coach Steve Wilks to get the job permanently.
«I’ll speak for everyone in that locker room by saying we want Coach Wilks to be our next head coach. That’s for sure.» brown said. “I think that every week that we will come, he will tell you exactly what he is like. He doesn’t sweeten anything.
«He keeps it straight, Jane, per se. He lets you know exactly what’s going on. You might be one of the better players, but you walk into that building on Monday, he’ll tell you exactly how he felt about how you played. That level of clarity, that’s exactly what we want.»
Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh celebrates after the Big 10 championship game against the Purdue Boilermakers on December 3, 2022, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
(Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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The Panthers are 5-6 under Wilks after starting the season 1-4 under former head coach Matt Rhule.
Michigan lost the Peach Bowl to TCU in the College Football Playoff semifinals, and TCU will face Georgia in the national championship game on Monday. It was the second straight CFP appearance for Michigan.
Harbaugh is 51-17 since joining Michigan in 2015. Including his stops at Stanford and the University of San Diego, his college head coaching record is 74-25. During his four seasons with the 49ers, he went 44-19-1, winning three straight NFC championships and the 2013 Super Bowl, which he lost to his brother John and the Baltimore Ravens.
Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh on the sideline during the first half of a game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Michigan Stadium on October 15, 2022 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
(Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)
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The Wolverines, despite back-to-back Big Ten titles, have lost six straight bowl games under Harbaugh.