The San Francisco 49ers may split from head coach Jim Harbaugh after the season ends and if that happens, teams like the Oakland Raiders, Cleveland Browns, Chicago Bears or NY Jets could be interested in making a trade or hiring him and this comes as Michigan has offered him the Wolverines football job, something he is reportedly "torn" about.
Harbaugh has been wildly successful as a head coach in the NFL, taking his team to the playoffs in three of the past four seasons, but he is also known for having a tough personality. Harbaugh and the front office for the Niners have had some tension over the past year according to reports and now that he has missed the playoffs, he likely will be elsewhere next season. The team missed the playoffs this year for the first time under Harbaugh and Colin Kaepernick appeared to take a step back from where he was last year.
The Michigan Wolverines have offered Harbaugh a six year contract worth nearly $50 million according to ESPN.com and he is reportedly "torn" about the offer. Harbaugh played for the Wolverines and ESPN.com is reporting that he is "considering" the offer, but that he would like to stay in the NFL. Harbaugh likely will at least wait until the NFL openings happen to make a final decision and that could come after Black Monday. ESPN reported earlier in the season that both the Raiders and Jets were interested in Harbaugh and that they could potentially make a trade for him.
Harbaugh still has one year remaining on his contract and that is why a trade could go down, but if that doesn't work out the Niners are planning to go a different direction. The 49ers will have a number of options to look at and some have mentioned that Mike Shanahan could be a possibility for the franchise. The Cleveland Browns tried to trade for Harbaugh last year and teams like the Bears, Jets and Raiders could be potential options for the head coach.
The Raiders are a team that many have speculated about, as they are in the Bay Area and would allow Harbaugh to stay on the west coast. Michigan is an appealing option because of how much he would be paid, but reports say that Harbaugh prefers to stay in the NFL over the college ranks. The Niners are 7-8 on the season and if they lose Sunday, it will be the first losing season for Harbaugh with the 49ers.
Harbaugh took the team to one Super Bowl and three straight NFC championship games, but now the 49ers are likely moving in a different direction. The 49ers are ranked second to last in the league in passing yards per game this season and the way the offense has played is one reason why the team struggled this season. Harbaugh is considered to be a top talent at head coach and that is why a trade could be possible if teams show interest before the 49ers let him go.
Harbaugh has pulled off fast turnarounds with teams, including Stanford and in San Francisco. Harbaugh took the Cardinal to new heights with Andrew Luck and he later took over the 49ers and brought them to the playoffs a decade of mediocrity.
