The best evidence yet that Jim Harbaugh isn’t leaving Michigan football

Taking a look at what the hiring of Mike Elston means for Michigan football, including what it says about Jim Harbaugh’s chances of staying. 

It’s day who knows what of the Jim Harbaugh contract negotiation and while there are still plenty of indications that he will eventually sign a new deal and return, Michigan football fans got some really good news on Thursday.

There hasn’t been anything new on the Harbaugh front. It’s fair to wonder why he hasn’t signed his new contract at this point and makes you think he might be waiting to see what Mark Davis and the Raiders have to say.

Yet, the announcement of Mike Elston’s hiring was a game-changer. Elston was hired away from Notre Dame and not only is he one of the best assistant coaches in the business, but he’s also an excellent recruiter and a U-M alum.

We talked about how it was a huge hire for the Wolverines when it happened, but obviously, it means something pretty significant for the Jim Harbaugh situation and on Friday, Chris Balas of The Wolverine reported (subscription required) what we all believed — that Elston didn’t come without assurances that Harbaugh was going to be in Ann Arbor.

So not only is Elston a huge asset, it’s probably the strongest indicator yet that Harbaugh will be coaching the Wolverines next season and beyond.

Elston hire could pay dividends for the 2023 recruiting class

Not only has Elston sent a bunch of guys to the NFL but he’s a stellar recruiter and that’s evidenced by a pair of top-100 commitments already in 2023 from Keon Keeley and Brenan Vernon — both recruitments where Elston was the primary recruiter.

Elston is also the primary recruiter for Luke Montgomery another 2023 defensive lineman that’s already a top target for the Wolveriners and their chances should only be improved by the addition of Elston to the coaching staff.

We’ll see if Michigan is able to flip either of those guys and win the battle for Montgomery, but long-term, it’s going to make U-M even stronger on the recruiting trail.

Of course, none of that happens without Harbaugh. That’s what still curious about all of this. If Harbaugh essentially assured Elston that he was going to return, why delay signing the contract?

Balas also reported that Michigan believes it has included everything Harbaugh could want. There’s not anything specific but we can assume that means resources for assistants. That is as important as anything else.

Keeping guys like Mike Hart, Sherrone Moore, Josh Gattis, Mike Macdonald, and the rest around as long as possible is the top priority. That’s also another reason to like the hire of Elston.

Macdonald is a rising star in the coaching business and there could be a time when he gets poached by an NFL team and Elston would add yet another coach to the defensive staff that has the ability to be a DC.

Elston was passed over for the job at Notre Dame and that’s probably why he was willing to leave. Thankfully, Harbaugh made the offer and it’s the strongest evidence there is that he won’t be going anywhere.

Still, I’d love to see that contract signed. I’d also love to see Harbaugh coach at Michigan football for the rest of his career. We’ll see what happens.