5 head coaches Michigan should call if Jim Harbaugh bolts for NFL

Jim Harbaugh is expected to interview with the Vikings on Wednesday and if he takes the job, here are five head coaches Michigan football must call. 

It’s now February and the Jim Harbaugh saga is still going on, although things should be coming to a head soon as the Michigan football head coach is interviewing with the Minnesota Vikings for a second time this Wednesday.

On Monday, there were reports that the Vikings were down to three candidates and that Jim Harbaugh wasn’t one of them. But DeMeco Ryans dropped out as a candidate and now, the Vikings could be zeroing in on Harbaugh.

According to his sources, Sam Webb of the Michigan Insider reported that if Harbaugh is offered the job, “He’s gone.”

And while we don’t know how things will play out, it’s starting to feel more and more like Jim Harbaugh has coached his last game for the Michigan football program.

Many are asking how it got to this point? Warde Manuel’s handling of Jim Harbaugh’s contract this year and last year deserves plenty of scrutiny, and ultimately, cutting his pay in half and then offering a cheap deal this time around seemed to push Harbaugh to the NFL, which was an itch that he already wanted to scratch.

Now, Manuel will likely have to find a replacement, after National Signing Day, in the middle of February with spring football right around the corner. It’s not ideal. In fact, it’s probably the worst possible situation for the Wolverines to be in right now.

But the job is attractive. Michigan football has always recruited as a top-tier program and that will continue. The Wolverines are loaded with talent, assuming the next head coach can stop a mass exodus from the transfer portal, and with that in mind, here are five head coaches Michigan football should call if Harbaugh takes the job in Minnesota.

David Shaw (Stanford)

This should be one of Michigan football’s first calls. Shaw took over at Stanford for Harbaugh and the Cardinal didn’t miss a beat. Shaw has won over 90 games and three PAC-12 championships. He also won the Rose Bowl game twice.

Under his watch, Stanford has finished in the AP top 20 six times, with three top-seven finishes and a No. 3 ranking to his credit. Shaw also understands what it’s like to be hampered by academics which is a bigger issue at Stanford than it is at Michigan.

Shaw has plenty of the same connections that Harbaugh does and while Stanford has had two losing seasons in three years, it’s not a football factory.

Shaw’s career could really use a fresh start. He did a stellar job at Stanford and there is reason to believe he could keep the train rolling in Ann Arbor just like he did at Stanford, even if he’s not a Michigan man. He could be the closest thing to Jim Harbaugh available.