Jim Harbaugh might not be bound for the NFL after all.
Rumors of Harbaugh returning to the professional ranks surfaced in each of the past few years, and they were brought up again as Michigan staged a run to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. An NFL Network report over the weekend claimed multiple NFL teams are in the process of gathering information on Harbaugh, who recently hired Don Yee, an agent with several notable clients such as Tom Brady.
But after the Wolverines' championship victory over the Washington Huskies on Monday night, Harbaugh sounded like he was prepared to run it back and try to defend his alma mater's title next college football season.
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"We're moving spring practice back. We usually start on Valentine's Day, Feb. 14, because we love football. This year, we're going to move it back," Harbaugh told Scott Van Pelt on ESPN's "SportsCenter." "We're going to move it back about a month. That will be good, too. We'll have some nice weather in the spring in Ann Arbor."
We obviously shouldn't take those remarks as a guarantee that Harbaugh will return to Michigan. The 60-year-old surely was overwhelmed by the thrill of victory and he probably hasn't had much time recently to think about his future. Furthermore, there figures to be more NFL job openings in the coming weeks that could pique Harbaugh's interest.
But if Harbaugh sticks around with the Wolverines, he's probably bound for more success. As of Tuesday morning, Michigan has the fifth-shortest odds at FanDuel Sportsbook to win the national title next season.
Featured image via Thomas Shea/USA TODAY Sports Images