There was a point this offseason when it looked like the Minnesota Vikings were going to hire Jim Harbaugh to be their next head coach, but Harbaugh instead returned to Michigan. It’s unclear why things unfolded the way they did, but it sounds like the decision to not enter into an agreement may have truly been mutual.
A report last month claimed the Vikings did not view Harbaugh as a “slam dunk” for their head coaching job. Harbaugh seemed to back that up when he admitted he went into the meeting thinking he was going to take the job if Minnesota was 100 percent committed. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Harbaugh and the Vikings determined the fit was “not right” at the moment.
In an appearance on #92 Noon with Paul Allen this week, Schefter recalled a phone conversation he had with Harbaugh the night the coach met with the Vikings. The ESPN insider said Harbaugh and the team met for nine hours.
“I think they talked about what it would look like and what it would take and what it would be. So maybe there’s not an offer that was made or wasn’t made or whatever,” Schefter said,” as transcribed by Jordy McElroy of Vikings Wire. “But there were serious talks for nine hours, and I think both determined it wasn’t—I spoke with him that night. And he was very complimentary of ownership and the organization and what a great place it would have been. But it’s not right—right now.”
Harbaugh made it seem as though the Vikings didn’t want him. He seemed fully prepared to leave Michigan at one point, though he insists he is now committed to the university and will not flirt with NFL teams again.
Perhaps Harbaugh realized while meeting with the Vikings that he still wants to be at Michigan. He may have gone into the talks excited to take the job and then changed his mind after Minnesota did not share the excitement. All of that can be true, though many are skeptical when he says he will never explore NFL opportunities again.
Photo: Nov 16, 2019; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh reacts during the second half against the Michigan State Spartans at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
