Former Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren reportedly avoided Jim Harbaugh for Chicago Bears head coach

Following an undefeated national championship season with Michigan, head coach Jim Harbaugh decided to go back to the NFL. Harbaugh was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 1987 draft, so naturally they emerged as a possible landing spot. The Bears had the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft and hadn’t had a consistent face at head coach since Lovie Smith. 

In 2002, Harbaugh became quarterbacks coach for the (Oakland) Raiders. He oversaw a season in which Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon led the team to the super bowl and won NFL MVP honors. He later returned to the collegiate level in 2004 as head coach at the University of San Diego. 

Did Kevin Warren hold a grudge against Jim Harbaugh?

Given these connections, one could imagine Harbaugh would’ve been a top choice for either organization. Afterall, the Bears were 7-10 in 2023, and the Raiders were 8-9. Ultimately, the Bears stuck with Matt Eberflus and the Raiders kept interim head coach Antonio Pierce. 

According to a report by Chicago sportscaster Dan McNeil, Bears president Kevin Warren “quashed it”. Michael Lombardi, a longtime NFL administrator who worked with the likes of Bill Belichick and Al Davis, called the story “completely true”. Lombardi alluded to the possibility of Kevin Warren, the former commissioner of the Big Ten, holding a grudge against Harbaugh.

“Remember Warren and Harbaugh, Warren being the commissioner of the Big Ten, had some differences, and I think they let it spill over,” Lombardi said. “… Neither (the Bears nor the Raiders) decided to go after him. Why? I don’t know. To me, if you’re Kevin Warren, the object of this is to get the best coach available, and Jim Harbaugh would’ve been the best coach for your team.”

Through 12 games this season, Harbaugh has led the Los Angeles Chargers to an 8-4 record and one of the best defenses in the league. The Bears started 4-2 this season, but have since lost six straight and fired Eberflus after a blunder of epic proportions on Thanksgiving in Detroit. The Raiders have lost eight straight games and sit at 2-10. 

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