Report: Broncos Get Good News on Jim Harbaugh

Jim Harbaugh's return to the NFL could be fait accompli.

The Denver Broncos have "reached out" to University of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh. Just a few weeks ago, few NFL insiders were giving much credence to Harbaugh as a bonafide candidate in the 2023 hiring cycle. 

Due to his own recent comments and the five-year contract extension he signed with Michigan last year, he wasn't perceived as a super plausible NFL option. The Harbaugh perception has changed, seemingly on a dime. 

There could be a couple of reasons for it, including the criticism he's received for Michigan's recent loss in the College Football Playoffs after going undefeated in the regular season and the financial wherewithal of the Broncos' new ownership group that is set to be "ultra aggressive" in its pursuit of a fix-this-mess head coach. 

The Athletic's Bruce Feldman reported on Monday that if Harbaugh receives an official NFL offer, leaving Michigan is a "done deal." 

“I think it is a done deal if he gets an offer.” Jim Harbaugh's led Michigan to consecutive B1G titles, but also been great as an NFL coach. If an NFL team wants him, will he leave Michigan? Reporting w/ @NicoleAuerbach @byAustinMeek on Harbaugh/NFL 2.0: https://t.co/q4VrLN7OLu

— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) January 2, 2023

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It's not just about the compensation package the Broncos' Walton/Penner ownership group could offer Harbaugh. He has ties to the organization — with both shot-callers of the past and present — and Nick Kosmider also elucidated additional context on why Denver makes sense as a landing spot. 

After hiring three straight first-time head coaches who failed to produce a winning record in any of their six combined seasons, previous head-coaching experience is almost certainly a prerequisite in the eyes of Denver’s new ownership group. Harbaugh’s success with the 49ers — a 44-19-1 record and a stretch of three straight NFC championship game appearances — would certainly be appealing to a franchise that hasn’t reached the playoffs since 2015.

As Stanford's former head coach, Harbaugh also is connected with Broncos CEO and part-owner Greg Penner and his wife Carrie Walton Penner, along with Condoleezza Rice, a "limited shareholder" per Kosmider, and a key figure in Denver's head-coaching search committee. 

Harbaugh could be the leader in the clubhouse to land the Broncos' head-coaching job. But there are others the team will consider, including Sean Payton, Dan Quinn, and even Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero. 

Even if the Broncos make Harbaugh an offer and he accepts it, the team would be unwise to do so before interviewing a few other coaches, and not just for the sake of being comprehensive. The NFL mandates, per the Rooney Rule, that teams interview at least one minority candidate for any head-coaching vacancy. 

Some NFL teams have found ways around the Rooney Rule over the years. However, Broncos GM George Paton has already said that the team would like to interview Evero for the gig. A sit-down with Evero, who is Black, would satisfy the Rooney Rule. 

According to 9NEWS' Mike Klis, the Broncos plan to continue reaching out to candidates this week to schedule interviews starting the week of January 9. Stay tuned. 

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