Reading tea leaves regarding Jim Harbaugh and Michigan Football

Nothing is concrete yet but the tea leaves are telling us Jim Harbaugh will return to Michigan football as a number of signs point in that direction. 

There is one big question hanging over the Michigan football program right now, and it’s whether or not Jim Harbaugh will be the coach next season?

Harbaugh is signed for next year. But with rumored interest from the NFL and fresh off his best season with the Wolverines, Harbaugh is in line for a big extension, at least if U-M wants to retain his services.

These rumors began over a week ago and despite the hope that the situation would be resolved with the announcement of a new deal over the weekend or even early this week, it hasn’t happened just yet and it’s fair to wonder why.

The latest on Jim Harbaugh

Black Monday could have been a turning point. If Harbaugh was looking for other NFL opportunities, there were some that came about such as the Miami Dolphins who surprised people by firing Brian Flores after he won eight of his last nine games.

Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is a Michigan alum and has attempted to hire Jim Harbaugh before. But this time around, he said he wasn’t going to take Harbaugh from Michigan so it makes you wonder how much Harbaugh is serious about the NFL, otherwise, why wouldn’t Ross make a play?

But as Sam Webb of The Michigan Insider reported Tuesday night (subscription required), the only team that seems interested in Harbaugh is the Las Vegas Raiders.

Mark Davis could try to back up a truck of money for Harbaugh. We knew that all along but the Raiders are in the playoffs now and if they keep winning, it seems harder to make a move for Jim.

It makes sense that Harbaugh would listen. After all, look at his market value compared to a year ago — and who wouldn’t listen to a lucrative job offer?

That doesn’t mean he’s going to take it and seeing that he’s going out on the road recruiting next week as reported by EJ Holland of The Wolverine, makes it feel like nothing is changing.

Harbaugh sort of did this last year too before finally signing his extension. That was a complicated negotiation with his pay getting cut. This is too with some NIL stuff being talked about but beyond that, Michigan football needs to make him as well-paid as any coach in the Big Ten, plus a boatload of money for assistants.

You can’t fix transfers in a contract negotiation. But he can push for more resources and the school should give Harbaugh whatever tools it can to be successful. Will admissions ever change on transfers? If so, it probably won’t be because the football program wanted it.

But everything else seems to be on track except for having a new deal signed. Hopefully, for Michigan football fans, it happens this week because the longer this goes, the bigger threat the Raiders and the NFL start to become.