Jim Harbaugh is something of a favorite son to the University of Michigan faithful, having quarterbacked there in the 1980s. His head coaching resume is all but unimpeachable; he led Stanford to a BCS Bowl win and the San Francisco 49ers to three straight NFC championship games (one win). There's little doubt the Wolverines would love to lure him from the West Coast to Ann Arbor.
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However, Harbaugh continues to duck speculation that he's in UM's plans.
"As a principle, I don't talk about any other job other than the one that I have," Harbaugh told reporters on Monday, according to MLive.com. "I've answered this question many times, even recently. So you know exactly where my priorities are."
Despite his success with the 49ers, Harbaugh is said to be on the outs with the team's front office, and an acrimonious parting at season's end is looking like a foregone conclusion.
Per the Detroit Free Press, Vegas bookmakers currently have the odds of Harbaugh taking the Michigan job at 6-1, which is longer than the odds of him taking the Oakland Raiders job, or another NFL coaching job in general (5-6 and 2-1, respectively).
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The Raiders will be heavy competition for Harbaugh's services. Harbaugh enjoys coaching in the NFL, and taking the Oakland job would require no relocation on his family's part. Additionally, Harbaugh is said to be a big fan of Raiders' rookie QB Derek Carr, according to SI. If the Wolverines truly want Harbaugh, they can't rely on nostalgia alone. It's going to take a massive payday, even by power conference standards, to pull it off.
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