Michigan Football: Any reason to worry about Harbaugh to NFL?

Should Michigan football fans worry about Jim Harbaugh going to the NFL? Or should they believe him when he says the rumors aren’t true?

If there is one thing Michigan football fans have had to endure under the reign of Jim Harbaugh, it’s been the endless wave of rumors about him leaving for the NFL.

Well, with the NFL season just about to end and Black Monday, the day many head coaches in the professional ranks get fired, just days away, the rumors are swirling.

Many are connecting the Michigan football head coach to the Indianapolis Colts soon to be vacant job for obvious reasons. For one, Harbaugh played for the Colts, leading them to the AFC title game back in 1996. The other reason is Harbaugh’s connection to quarterback Andrew Luck.

Harbaugh coached Luck at Stanford and together, the two helped resurrect the program, leading the team to an Orange Bowl championship and No. 4 ranking in their final season together in 2011.

Pagano started off well with the Colts, as he and Luck led the organization to three straight playoff berths, as well as an AFC championship game appearance back in 2014. However, the Colts have missed the playoffs three years in a row, meaning Pagano will likely be out of a job soon.

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That of course has fueled speculation that Harbaugh could be a candidate for the job. For what’s it worth, Harbaugh has essentially said there is no truth to the rumors. He even compared the rumors to re-heated Oatmeal, something he said he doesn’t like.

The question is, should Michigan football fans believe him?

Right now it’s hard to doubt him. There have been rumors about him going back to the NFL, but nothing substantial has ever come up.

NFL teams are always going to be interested in Harbaugh, they would have to be stupid not to want him. However, I wouldn’t expect him to leave Michigan anytime soon.

Harbaugh fits as a college head coach. Wolverines fans can’t expect him to stay forever. I know I certainly don’t but he doesn’t seem to be abandoning ship either.

Unfortunately, it’s something Michigan football fans will have to deal with for years to come. But the coach, who played at Michigan, seems to still love it there. He also has a lot of work left to do to completely rebuild the Wolverines and I for one don’t think he would bail before at least beating Ohio State once.

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Obviously, Harbaugh’s name will continue to be linked to NFL teams. That’s just part of having a great football coach. But until there is more than just gossip surrounding his departure, it’s not something Michigan football fans should be too worried about.