Dianna Russini of The Athletic turned several heads this week when she went on The Herd with Colin Cowherd to discuss the upcoming head coaching carousel. Not only did she express the belief that Matt Eberflus is likely gone after this season based on what she’s heard, but she also dropped a small bombshell. Apparently, the Chicago Bears brass has held internal discussions about approaching Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh about the job if Eberflus is out in January.
We’ve heard for years that Harbaugh is interested in the Bears job. It isn’t a surprise. He was a quarterback here from 1987 through 1992. Mike Ditka was a huge mentor to him. If there was one NFL job he prized, it was Chicago. Throw in the fact that former Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren is the new team president and the conditions don’t get more ideal for him to get a chance. Still, some are reluctant to trust Russini’s info. Well, she isn’t alone anymore. Former ESPN beat writer and Hall of Fame voter Armando Salguero chimed in on Harbaugh for Outkick.
He confirmed everything Russini said.
“The University of Michigan coach is expected back on the sideline Saturday when the Wolverines play Iowa in the Big 10 championship game in Indianapolis. But as Harbaugh and his team focus on winning the conference and even the national title, NFL teams weighing their future head coach options have Harbaugh in their sights.
The Chicago Bears have had informal internal discussions about Harbaugh and whether adding him to a potential list of candidates makes sense if or when the club moves on from incumbent coach Matt Eberflus, a source confirmed to OutKick on Thursday. Dianna Russini of The Athletic was first to report the possibility.”
Jim Harbaugh isn’t a lock, but this feels different.
In 2018 and 2022, when the Bears head coaching job was available, Harbaugh was always rumored to be interested. It was a natural connection. There was one underlying issue. Said interest was never reciprocated. Not only did the organization refuse to hire him, they didn’t even ask for an interview. That should tell you how little interest they had. The fact they’re having actual discussions about him now tells you how much the situation has changed. Perhaps years of losing have finally worn the McCaskeys down to a point where they’ll try anything.
Ownership has remained consistent in their approach at head coach for years. They don’t want big personalities. They want level-headed guys who toe a particular line in front of the media. Ditka was a big reason for that organizational shift. It might explain why they’ve been so bad at finding capable coaches for decades. None of them have the necessary charisma for the job. For all his faults, Jim Harbaugh understands how to lead a locker room. Hiring him would be a risk. Still, his track record says he will have the Bears competitive in short order.
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Harbaugh is a winner. And he would positively change the culture and expectations with the Bears.
However, there would be offensive and defensive growing pains with another HC, new coordinators, assistants and yet another “system”!
Transition will be ugly at times. There is no quick fix. Winning is a process. It doesn’t happen at the flick of a switch. But, Harbaugh’s teams will compete. And his hiring will result in a tough, well-coached playoff team challenging for a title!
The upside of Harbaugh is he’ll likely find a way to scheme around guys we have. The guy wants to win every game, he probably won’t give Poles a long shopping list of guys he wants replaced. I’m sure there will be a few, but more likely than not, he’ll come in here looking to win in a hurry.
It’s a matter of risk versus reward if the Bears were to hire Jim Harbough. The risk being how contentious Harbough can be with his general manager (ie San Francisco) and the reward of having a proven winning coach at the helm. Kevin Warren knows Harbough well enough to make the right decision.
More than just his coaching ability, I’d love to have a coach that can put a sentence together and at least at the surface seems to hold his players accountable
#1 option without a doubt. Dude just wins. Both Harbaugh brothers are just flat out winners. He may be abrasive, but I never heard a player say a bad word about him. Once a Bear, always a Bear. Bring’em back home. Maybe he could even lure Vic Fangio away from Miami, and bring him back as DC, with a fancy Assistant HC title 🙂