Jim Harbaugh Interviews With Falcons — Could Arthur Blank Choose Him Over Bill Belichick?

The Atlanta Falcons are known for kicking around the college ranks for their head coach, and their latest target may just be the most coveted in a deep pool of available talent. On Tuesday evening, the team revealed that they interviewed Michigan head coach and reigning national champion Jim Harbaugh.

Atlanta, who parted ways with Arthur Smith last week after three consecutive 7-10 seasons, is one of a handful around the NFL trying to fill a head coaching vacancy.

Plenty of big names on the market, such as Mike Vrabel, Ron Rivera, and Bill Belichick, and that’s to say nothing of more up-and-coming candidates like Ben Johnson or Eric Bieniemy. But do the Falcons have their eyes set on Harbaugh, even after they interviewed Belichick earlier this week?

Will Jim Harbaugh Return to the NFL?

Harbaugh’s been at the helm of the Michigan Wolverines since 2015 and has been instrumental in one of the most prolific 10-year runs in the proud program’s history.

His Michigan tenure was promising to start. The Wolverines went 10-3 three times in his first four years at the helm. However, an inability to vanquish Ohio State and, in turn, win the Big Ten Championship were common criticisms levied at Harbaugh.

He put those criticisms to bed over the past three seasons. Michigan won consecutive Big Ten titles from 2021-23 — the first such victories for the program since 2004.

More impressively, Harbaugh’s Wolverines just captured their first national championship in more than a quarter-century after a dominating victory over the Washington Huskies in the College Football Playoff National Championship.

We have interviewed Michigan Head Coach Jim Harbaugh for our head coach opening

— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) January 17, 2024

Harbaugh has accomplished virtually all there is to accomplish at the college level, so it stands to reason that he might want to revisit the professional ranks. He had some success in the pros a decade ago, guiding the San Francisco 49ers to a 44-19-1 mark over four seasons.

MORE: NFL Head Coach Predictions 2024

His ‘Niners qualified for at least the NFC Championship Game during his first three seasons with the team. He also famously lost Super Bowl XLVII against his brother John’s Baltimore Ravens. Jim finally got one monkey off his back, so it seems safe to surmise he’d like another crack at the one still lingering.

Do the Atlanta Falcons Make Sense for Jim Harbaugh?

A handful of factors make the Falcons an enticing team for any available coaching prospect. They’ve got otherworldly talent at the skill positions between RB Bijan Robinson, WR Drake London, and TE Kyle Pitts. There’s also a handful of first-rounders on the O-line.

Admittedly, there’s seemingly no franchise quarterback in-house right now, but the Falcons would hardly be the first team to maneuver their way into one. Whether via the draft, a trade, or free agency (the Falcons currently have around $30 million in available cap), if the Falcons are all-in on Harbaugh, they’ll likewise be all-in on finding a suitable arm to pilot the offense.

Granted, Harbaugh to the Falcons is no sure thing as of this writing, and that goes for both sides. He could just be angling for a pay raise from Michigan. In fact, a report on Tuesday morning surfaced from Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wetzel that Harbaugh and Michigan were working on a deal that would pay him $11.5 million guaranteed per year over six years, making him the highest-paid coach in college football.

The sticking point, however, seems to be around immunity language that Harbaugh is seeking to be included in the contract. Per Wetzel, the language would grant him immunity from termination from any finding or sanction that could arise from multiple current NCAA investigations into the football program.

Then again, who’s to say the Falcons aren’t using Harbaugh, at least partly, to get Belichick to play ball? They interviewed the legendary former New England coach a few days ago. Both sides are likely still weighing their options, but Belichick’s got the sort of cache that would seemingly demand a blank check from virtually any NFL team needing his services.

However, he’s 71 and endured the worst season in his storied coaching career. There is a legitimate fear that perhaps the game has begun to pass him by. Meanwhile, the 60-year-old Harbaugh has shown no signs of slipping.

He’s no spring chicken, but ten years is a long time from the perspective of this conversation. Belichick is a short-term fix, and Harbaugh could be around for the long haul.

Whichever way the Falcons go, they’ve landed between the proverbial rock and a hard place. Luckily for them, both options, in this instance, are quite appealing.

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