That Didn’t Take Long. Harbaugh Hubbub Storms Back.
On Monday, VikingsTerritory detailed the fading enthusiasm of Jim Harbaugh to the Vikings.
That didn’t last long.
In a matter of hours, the zest for Harbaugh in purple rejuvenated, culminating in the report Minnesota will formally interview the Michigan coach on Wednesday.
Interestingly, the interview will occur on the same day as the NCAA’s National Signing Day, an odd occasion for Harbaugh to miss unless he’s genuinely planning on a career change. The Vikings and Miami Dolphins are considered the frontrunners to hire Harbaugh (if he jumps back to the NFL at all). For a brief moment, the Las Vegas Raiders were allegedly line the mix, too, but Las Vegas upped with Josh McDaniels from the New England Patriots this week.
Harbaugh coached in the pros before Michigan, guiding the 49ers to three consecutive NFC Championships with a cumulative 44-19 (.695) record. He owns the fifth-best winning percentage in NFL history among all head coaches. Harbaugh’s 49ers even visited the Super Bowl in 2012, losing to the Joe Flacco-led Baltimore Ravens, 34-31.
After an 8-8 year in 2014, Harbaugh bolted to Michigan, compiling a 61-24 (.717) win-loss mark to date. Harbaugh has directed the enterprise for the Wolverines in seven full seasons.
The Harbaugh buzz began after the Vikings hired new general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. The 49ers gave Adofo-Mensah his first NFL job in 2013, and Harbaugh was in charge of the 49ers then, taking San Francisco to the aforementioned NFC Championships and Super Bowls. The two were in the same building.
Additionally, while Minnesota is conducting a first interview with Harbaugh, second discussions with Patrick Graham (Giants), Raheem Morris (Rams), and Kevin O’Connell (Rams) will already be in the rearview. Before the Harbaugh frenzy commenced, O’Connell was the presumptive fan favorite to land the head coaching gig. Why? Because he’s young and offensive-minded, a prerequisite by many fans during this coaching search, hoping to replicate the success of men like Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan, Matt LaFleur, and Zac Taylor. Because of his direct connection to McVay, O’Connell fits the bill.
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None of that matters, though, if Harbaugh is hired this week. His winning acumen is documented, ironclad, and irrefutable. Harbaugh is intense, in-your-face, and confrontational – but all he does is win. Fans can get behind that in a hurry, placating the remorse of missing out on a glitzy young mind like a McVay-type.
Regardless, a decision on Harbaugh – or Graham, Morris, or O’Connell – should be announced this week. And after a dip in momentum on Monday, the Harbaugh mania resumed.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
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