If the Miami Dolphins fired Brian Flores with Jim Harbaugh in mind, they certainly are not willing to admit it publicly.
The Dolphins made the most stunning move of Black Monday when they parted ways with Flores, who just led the team to a second consecutive winning season. Rumors immediately began to swirl that they must have fired Flores because they are planning to pursue Harbaugh, who may be entertaining the idea of leaving Michigan to return to the NFL.
Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, a Michigan alumnus, was asked about the Harbaugh speculation on Monday. He said he doesn’t want to be the one to pull Harbaugh away from his alma mater.
Ross: "I have no coach in mind. We're going to do a thorough review." Asked about Jim Harbaugh: "He's at the University of Michigan. … I'm not going to be the person who takes Jim Harbaugh away from Michigan."
— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) January 10, 2022
Of course, Ross could never admit the Dolphins already have their next head coach lined up. That would be a violation of the Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview minority candidates for coaching vacancies.
If Harbaugh decides he is leaving Michigan, Ross would almost certainly love to have him. That is different from Ross convincing Harbaugh to bail on the Wolverines.
It’s unclear if Harbaugh would actually leave Michigan following his best season with the program. He may just be trying to secure a bigger contract from the school after taking a pay cut last year. If he does talk with NFL teams, the Dolphins and at least one other team will likely want to interview him.
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
