With the college football season getting underway, there are going to be a lot of storylines brewing. One of the more underlying stories will be the decision between the Michigan Wolverines and head coach Jim Harbaugh. It is interesting because he has a successful record but could be out in the middle of the season.
Reasons to Keep Harbaugh
Making sure you win games is critical to the job, especially in a well-respected program such as the Michigan Wolverines. He has a career record of 49-22 in his five years so far, while he has a 34-16 record against Big Ten Conference opponents.
Jim Harbaugh has a lot of connections to the college and is able to recruit highly talented players to play for him. One of the biggest factors is the fact that his new contract extension is through 2025, and if he is fired from the program, they are going to have to be paying him a massive salary to not be their head coach.
One of the more underlying stories in college football this season will be the decision between the Michigan Wolverines and its head coach, Jim Harbaugh.Reasons to Fire Harbaugh
Looking at his overall record as the Michigan Wolverines head coach is one thing, but it gets murky when you dive into them. Harbaugh finished tied for first in the Big Ten East division once in his first five years. His postseason has been terrible, as well as he is 1-4 in Bowl games and completely missed the postseason last year with a brutal 2-4 overall record.
He was hired to be the difference maker between Michigan and the rest of the Big Ten Conference, and unfortunately for him, he has not been able to do such a thing. This season was the lowest season-ticket sales under Jim Harbaugh’s tenure with the Wolverines, so it seems like he lost the fanbase, and that is important to a college town.
Conclusion
The signs are all pointing towards head coach Jim Harbaugh staying with the Michigan Wolverines for the next handful of seasons (unless he jumps ship to join an NFL team to be a head coach). This might be a punch to the face of the Wolverines fans as many of them have been vocal in their displeasure of his coaching job and his lack of success to win the Big Ten Championship or be in contention for a spot in the College Football Playoffs.
His inability to recruit quarterbacks that can lead the program has also been a struggle, and his 2020 team did not look like it was ready to help his cause. Maybe there will be a shift with this program, but the head coach is going to be here, and the athletic director seems to be content enough in his work to keep him on board. Another struggling season could be the sign that his days are numbered, and Harbaugh needs to begin packing up his office, but until I see a resignation letter, it seems to not be in the cards.
