As he and his family are fond of saying: Who’s got it better than Jim Harbaugh? Nobody, at least in the college football world.
Harbaugh is now a national championship winner as Michigan’s head coach. And while his future at the school is now in the air with all the return to the NFL rumors swirling, it’s a good time as any to start talking about it given that he’s made it to the summit of the college football world.
To help him out, we’re ranking NFL head coach job openings, including one franchise that may or may not let go of its legendary name this offseason.
6
Carolina Panthers
Maybe he knows how to cure what ails Bryce Young after a rocky rookie year, but does Harbaugh really want to work for owner David Tepper after what happened with Frank Reich?
If Harbaugh has his pick of NFL jobs, this one should be low on the list.
5
New England Patriots** (If Bill Belichick is out)
As of publishing this, there’s no word on whether Belichick is staying or going.
But say he leaves. Imagine being the guy who has to get the job after the legendary Belichick. Even if it’s Harbaugh, there’s a lot to live up to, and the roster is a bit of a mess. There are better opportunities out there.
4
Atlanta Falcons
This is the opposite of succeeding Belichick. After all the criticism of Arthur Smith, the next person who helms the franchise couldn’t be worse, right? Plus, there are offensive pieces in place, perhaps the Falcons draft a QB, Atlanta’s a nice city … not bad!
3
Las Vegas Raiders
On the one hand: The Raiders’ recent history of cycling through head coaches and lack of playoff success (or any playoffs at all) doesn’t bode well.
On the other: Vegas Baby! But also, this team showed some good stuff at times. Maybe there’s something there?
2
Washington Commanders
This is not the Washington NFL franchise of yore. It feels like owner Josh Harris is really trying to turn things around after decades of horrible ownership, and the Commanders could be a QB away from getting back to relevancy and a brighter future.
1
Los Angeles Chargers
A no-brainer. He once was on the roster of the then-San Diego Chargers. And he’d get right to work with one of the better young quarterbacks in Justin Herbert, plus a roster that could easily get back to its winning ways fairly quickly.
