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Report: Unlike last year, Jim Harbaugh turned down the NFL in 2023

New reports indicate that, unlike a year ago, Jim Harbaugh turned down the NFL instead of the other way around.

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© Junfu Han, Detroit Free Press, Detroit Free Press via Imagn Content Services, LLC

A year ago, Michigan football was in the middle of a massive coaching crisis. Current head coach Jim Harbaugh was reportedly interested in heading back to the NFL; he was actively trying to leave Michigan for an NFL head coaching position.

As Jim Harbaugh’s newest class was inking their commitment to him on National Signing Day in 2022, Harbaugh was in Minneapolis for a coaching interview with the Minnesota Vikings. As things unraveled, the Vikings decided to hire someone else instead, and Harbaugh was forced to stay at Michigan.

A repeat of history?

A year later, after the Wolverines’ second-straight Big Ten title and CFP appearance, the story felt all too familiar for those around the Michigan football program. Jim Harbaugh was again involved in talks with the NFL about making a return — primarily with the Denver Broncos.

Harbaugh stays in Ann Arbor

This time, after meeting with U-M President Santa Ono, Harbaugh decided he wanted to stay with the Wolverines. Still, just two weeks after announcing that he would stay in Ann Arbor in 2023, Harbaugh had an in-home interview with the Denver Broncos.

In the following days, reports again started to fly that Jim Harbaugh could still be in the mix for an NFL job, more specifically, the Denver Broncos head coaching vacancy. Earlier this week, one source stated that people should “sleep with one eye open” regarding Harbaugh’s interest in the Broncos job.

NFL rumors are shut down… for now

This afternoon, the Denver Broncos hired former Saints head coach Sean Payton as their newest head football coach. That all but completely shuts down the Harbaugh-NFL rumors for the time being.

After the hire was made, one source close to the Denver Broncos (Benjamin Allbright) had this to say about Harbaugh’s interest in the Broncos job:

“They went after Harbaugh but he decided to stay at Michigan, Ryans let them know he was going to Houston so they circled back around to Sean Payton. Basically how it went. There was no mystery candidate, they did put feelers out for if they needed to expand the search.”

Unlike a year ago, Jim Harbaugh decided he would rather coach the Michigan Wolverines in 2023 than an NFL team. This is good news for Michigan fans — it shows progress in the right direction within the athletic department — however, we all know that next year we will likely see many of the same reports.

Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on TwitterFacebookand Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Managing Editor at Cj@BluebyNinety.com or DM him on Twitter, @CJsWrld_.

CJ has covered college athletics in paid roles for around five years, including numerous sports and beats. His most recent work revolves largely around Penn State and Michigan football and basketball as a member of the credentialed media at both schools. Right now, CJ writes for Blue by Ninety, where he also serves as the site's credentialed football reporter. He also does some credentialed basketball coverage. Previously, CJ has made stops with sites like GBMWolverine, Saturday Blitz, Steeler Nation, and more.

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