Jim Harbaugh shocked the football world when he decided to return to Michigan after interviewing with the Minnesota Vikings for their head coach job. A few reports on Tuesday said Harbaugh was expected to land the job and accept the position. However, that did not happen, and the Vikings are instead hiring Kevin O’Connell.
Did Harbaugh turn down Minnesota after something from their discussions turned him off? Were the Vikings not quite as interested in Harbaugh as maybe it seemed? We may never know the answers to these questions, but what we do know is that Harbaugh will not be their coach. We also do have some reports that attempt to shed light on what happened.
ESPN’s Courtney Cronin says based on the digging she did, it seems like Harbaugh arrived expecting Wednesday to maybe go differently from what the Vikings thought. She reports that it doesn’t seem like the Vikings viewed him quite as the “slam dunk” he did.
The Vikings saw this very differently and not as a 'slam dunk' as a source put it to me, the way they felt Harbaugh viewed the situation coming into Wed. There was no offer extended. This isn't necessarily a matter of who said no to who, but 2 sides that did not align on the
— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) February 3, 2022
FWIW, I don't gather that there's any bad blood from either side. Just sounds like a difference in expectation from Harbaugh's perspective and from the Vikings'.
— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) February 3, 2022
Did the Vikings not roll out the red carpet enough for Harbaugh? Were they not prepared to offer him what he wanted in terms of contract and control? Who knows.
It could also just be that the job wasn’t exactly what Harbaugh thought, and the “slam dunk” comment is the Vikings saving face after being turned down.
Whatever the case, Harbaugh is now returning to Michigan, and the Wolverines seem pretty relieved about that.
Photo: Aug 31, 2019; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh before the game against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
