Jim Harbaugh flirts a lot, and he does it often enough for Michigan to be able to prepare for his departure. Athletic director Warde Manuel would not be surprised if Harbaugh closes a deal to rejoin the Los Angeles Chargers. According to NFL Network, Manuel made Harbaugh an offer to sign a $125 million, ten-year contract before the Wolverines won the national championship earlier this month.
The writing might have been on the wall when Harbaugh opted not to sign the contract and interviewed with the Atlanta Falcons and Chargers.
He would add to the list of seismic shifts on the coaching ranks this month. Nick Saban retired at Alabama, and national championship runner-up Washington lost Kalen DeBoer to Tuscaloosa as his replacement. That opened the door for Arizona coach Jedd Fisch to flee for Seattle, and the dominoes are still dropping in his wake. In the NFL, Bill Belichick and the Patriots divorced after 24 years. And now Harbaugh appears determined to join the high-profile relocation plan. Where does that leave Michigan? The Wolverines appear to be interested in promoting from within, but defensive coordinator Jesse Minter reportedly is part of Harbaugh’s planned staff in Los Angeles.
Offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore had a four-game cameo as head coach when Harbaugh served multiple suspensions last season. Moore, an offensive guard at Oklahoma during Bob Stoops’ heyday, said prior to the Rose Bowl he appreciated the opportunity. “The biggest difference is that when you’re the head coach you got to talk with the reps a lot, and that communication can be positive, can be a little negative,” Moore said in Pasadena. “But I try to manage that as best as possible — making the decisions on the fly in those situations, as a coordinator, especially going for it on 4th down, when you have a head coach there you’re counting on him. When you’re the head coach you kind of make that call yourself. But me and (Harbaugh), we have the same mindset of how we would call it, how we would do it in those situations. Those are the biggest differences going from just a coordinator to the head coach.”
Moore arrived at Michigan in 2018, and in 2020 he was promoted to co-offensive coordinator. Moore, who is dedicated to the Wolverines and isn’t what many in the fan base would term a “Michigan Man,” stated prior to the national championship game that he’s more than happy in Ann Arbor and isn’t looking to become a head coach. “Most coaches at some point in their life want to do that,” Moore stated. “When the time comes, the time comes, but I’m in no rush to leave this place, this great university, these students and coach Harbaugh.”
