Jim Harbaugh meets with Minnesota Vikings about head coach opening

Just when Michigan football fans worried that Jim Harbaugh might leave Ann Arbor for the NFL (again) were just about to relax, with his likeliest destinations apparently moving on, there’s a report of a potential new spot for the Wolverines’ coach.

The Minnesota Vikings are interested in interviewing Harbaugh for their vacant head coaching gig. Harbaugh and the Vikings had exploratory conversations about the team’s coaching vacancy Saturday, a person with knowledge of the process told the USA TODAY Network.

The Associated Press was first to report the talks between the Vikings and Harbaugh.

The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the team was not publicizing the meeting, said both sides are gauging interest.

Harbaugh had been linked this offseason to the Miami Dolphins (who are owned by Michigan mega-donor Stephen Ross), the Chicago Bears (for whom he played seven seasons) and the Las Vegas Raiders (the one-time cross-Bay rivals when he coached the San Francisco 49ers).

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But Ross nixed raiding his alma mater for a coach, the Bears hired Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus and the Raiders appear to be leaning toward New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels after interviewing him Friday.

Enter the Vikings, who fired coach Mike Zimmer on Jan. 10 after back-to-back nine-loss seasons. The Vikings could be a good fit for Harbaugh in both the front office and on the field. The franchise hired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah as general manager Wednesday night. Adofo-Mensah was hired away from the Cleveland Browns, where he made his name after spending several years working on Wall Street. But he got his NFL start working in the research and development department with the 49ers in 2013, when Harbaugh was entering his third season with the franchise.

On the field, the Vikings have quarterback Kirk Cousins under contract through the 2022 season. Cousins, 33, completed 66.3% of his passes for 4,221 yards, 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions during the 2021 season. Harbaugh — who gained a reputation as a quarterback guru after sending Josh Johnson (University of San Diego) and Andrew Luck (Stanford) to the NFL, and developing Colin Kaepernick while with the 49ers — hasn't had the same quality of quarterback in Ann Arbor. If the Vikings stick with Cousins, he arguably would be the most experienced QB Harbaugh has worked with.

Harbaugh would owe Michigan a $1.5 million buyout if he were to leave this year.

Harbaugh is coming off his most successful season at Michigan, with 12 wins, his first victory over Ohio State, a division title (the program's first since the conference split into divisions in 2011), a Big Ten title (the program's first since 2004) and a CFP berth. Of course, that came one season after the program's low point under him, a 2-4 finish during a COVID-shortened season.

The disaster that was 2020 led to a 50% pay cut when Harbaugh and athletic director Warde Manuel hammered out an extension over the past offseason, though there were plenty of incentives in the contract, many of which Harbaugh was able to claim after the Wolverines' surprising 2021 triumph.

In his seventh season in Ann Arbor, Michigan went 12-2, with an 8-1 record in Big Ten play. That brought Harbaugh's record at Michigan to 61-24, with five 10-win seasons and six bowl appearances. (Though Michigan hasn't won a bowl game since Harbaugh's first season in Ann Arbor.)

Harbaugh returned to his alma mater after four seasons coaching the San Francisco 49ers. He made the playoffs in each of his first three seasons with the Niners, and took the franchise to the Super Bowl following the 2012 season, his second in San Francisco. (The 49ers lost Super Bowl 47, 34-31, to Harbaugh's brother, John, and the Baltimore Ravens.) The Niners let Harbaugh go after the 2014 season, in which they went 8-8 and missed the playoffs, in a decision that wasn't exactly mutual, according to Harbaugh.

That was just in time for him to return to Ann Arbor in December 2014, when he was hired to replace Brady Hoke.

Under a four-year extension signed in January 2021, Harbaugh is under contract at Michigan through the 2025 season. The deal took him from being one of the Big Ten's (and college football's) highest-paid coaches to one of the conference's lowest earners, with a base compensation package that started at $4 million for the 2021 season and topped out at a little over $4.4 million in 2025.

Michigan's buyout of Harbaugh's contract started at $4 million and decreases by $1 million every season. If Harbaugh were to leave on his own accord, he would have to pay a $2 million buyout in Year 1, $1,500,000 in Year 2, $1,000,000 in Year 3, $500,000 in Year 4 and $0 in Year 5.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Jim Harbaugh meets with Minnesota Vikings on head coach opening