Only six days after parting ways with first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett, the Denver Broncos have reportedly set its sights on Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh as a possible replacement, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
Florio says the Broncos have “reached out” to Harbaugh to discuss the team’s coaching vacancy, though it’s unclear if he is interested in the job.
The news of the Broncos’ possible interest in Harbaugh breaks less than 24 hours since TCU eliminated his Michigan Wolverines from the College Football Playoffs.
Harbaugh interviewed for the Minnesota Vikings’ job last February but told Mitch Albom of the Detroit Free Press that it was “the last time” he’d flirt with an NFL return. He even told Michigan’s AD, Manuel Warde, that interviewing with an NFL team wouldn’t be a “reoccurring theme every year.”
Per a report from NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, Denver may have the inside track if the 59-year-old decides to leave Michigan and return to the NFL.
“Condoleeza Rice, a member of the Broncos ownership group and search committee, has deep ties to Stanford University, where Harbaugh coached before his NFL sting,” the report notes. “Harbaugh’s focus has been on the Wolverines’ championship push; now that it’s over after Michigan’s loss to TCU, his interest in the NFL, if any, should become apparent quickly.”
Harbaugh’s contract with Michigan runs through the 2026 season, but he may be looking for a new challenge, especially following his sixth consecutive bowl game loss leading Michigan.
