The Las Vegas Raiders are a team in transition, and will be one of the handful of NFL franchises searching for a new head coach this off-season. As one of the teams that generally likes to make a splash with their hirings and transactions, it isn’t all that surprising to see current Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh linked as one of the names that the Raiders are interested in, and according to reports, the interest is mutual.
Raiders, Harbaugh Have Mutual Interest, Says Report
Sources to @BleacherReport: There is mutual interest between the #Raiders and current #Michigan HC Jim Harbaugh.
I’m told Harbaugh wants to return to the NFL, and has “a lot of interest” in the #Chargers’ vacancy as well.
There is a slew of internal support for Antonio Pierce… pic.twitter.com/PT074hSTZZ
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) January 8, 2024
Despite the success that his undefeated Michigan Wolverines have enjoyed this season, Harbaugh’s year has been a rough one. The cheating allegations put a serious stain on the team’s run at a championship, and his future with the university is unknown because of it. Even before the issues, there were talks that the coach’s time with the team has run its course.
Now, ahead of his biggest game in his nine years with the program, there are intensifying rumors regarding him leaving Michigan and the college game for good, and taking his talents back to the NFL, where he enjoyed success with the San Francisco 49ers.
And the Raiders appear to be at the forefront of the speculation. According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, there is mutual interest between the two sides:
My understanding is that Harbaugh has made it very clear internally that he wants to leave college and go back to the NFL…It’s my understanding that Mark Davis really, really likes the idea of potentially bringing in Jim Harbaugh as the head coach.
Schultz mentioned the Antonio Pierce factor, as well.
What About Antonio Pierce?
This video of Antonio Pierce leaving the field with the fans will give you goosebumps. #Raiders pic.twitter.com/IlydivFON2
— Logan Reever (@loganreever) January 8, 2024
Pierce took over the head coaching duties on an interim basis in 2023 when the team fired Josh McDaniels, and he helped turn the team around. He took was Schultz described as a “morbid” locker room and turned it into an enjoyable one, which was especially aided by the mild success that the team enjoyed on the field after McDaniels’ departure.
Some of the star players on the roster have already voiced their support for the idea of bringing Pierce back on a full time basis as the team’s head coach, but the Raiders have to do their due diligence during the interviewing and hiring process.
And Jim Harbaugh will likely be one of the candidates who sits across the desk from Davis.
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