Michigan's Jim Harbaugh dodges NFL question after CFP win: 'I just want to enjoy this'
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh's future seems to be still in flux, even as he and his Wolverines teams celebrated the team's national championship game victory over Washington on Monday.
Harbaugh once again dodged questions about his future at Michigan, saying he simply wanted to enjoy his team's title without being asked whether he would leave the Wolverines for the NFL.
"I just want to enjoy this," Harbaugh told reporters after Michigan's 34-13 win over Washington in Houston on Monday. "I just want to enjoy this. I hope you give me that. Can a guy have that? Does it always have to be what's next, what's the future?"
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Harbaugh, 60, has been rumored to have interest in coaching in the NFL again all season. The new College Football Playoff national champion coached the San Francisco 49ers from 2011-14, and reportedly interviewed for the Minnesota opening two years ago and for the Denver opening last season. Several NFL teams with head coach openings have also been rumored to have interest in the Wolverines coach.
Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel also had a candid interview with reporters after the College Football Playoff final on Monday, sharing his thoughts on Harbaugh's future.
"He's always going to be somebody I'm proud of who coached the University of Michigan, who led this team," he said. And if he decides that he wants another opportunity to coach in the pros, then I'm going to be happy for him, sad for us. We're going to move on and find the next person to (coach).
"But I want him to stay at Michigan. I've said it, I believed it three, four years ago when people wanted me to get rid of him. I didn't because I believed it then and believe it now."
In February 2022, just after Harbaugh's interviews with Minnesota, Harbaugh signed a five-year contract extension with Michigan through the 2026 season. And just before the College Football Playoff, Harbaugh was reportedly offered a 10-year, $125 million contract extension that included a no-NFL clause that would force him to not entertain NFL jobs for the 2024 season.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan's Jim Harbaugh dodges NFL question: 'I just want to enjoy this'
