The speculation surrounding Jim Harbaugh's future as Michigan's head coach has ended, and with an unexpected twist. After formally interviewing with the Minnesota Vikings on Wednesday and leaving without an offer, he reportedly told the school that he intends to coach the Wolverines in 2022. A surprising turn of events, as Harbaugh's interest in returning to the NFL was strong.
Consequently, Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell has emerged as the frontrunner for the Vikings' job. With the Rams playing in the Super Bowl, a deal with O'Connell can't be finalized or made official just yet. But, all signs point toward the 36-year-old assistant taking over in Minnesota.
"In hindsight, a lot of the reporting that made it seem so rock-solid came from Harbaugh's side, because Harbaugh himself thought he was going to be their guy," Vikings podcast host Luke Braun told After Hours with Amy Lawrence on Thursday. "That kind of turned out to be the problem. He walked in, prepared for an interview he thought was a checkup for a job he more or less had, but the Vikings were more genuinely considering Harbaugh versus [other names].
"So there's this misalignment in attitudes between Harbaugh and the Vikings. There's a member of Vikings ownership -- a minority stakeholder -- who has some old Michigan beef with Harbaugh and hates him... So there were some other snags. I think really what happened was, you show up for an interview and you go, 'Alright, this is my job to lose, where do I sign the contract?' And the Vikings said, 'No, you have to interview and you haven't prepared for that at all.' And then it's awkward, and then you have to be there for nine hours..."
Harbaugh, who took over Michigan in 2015, led the program to its first Big Ten title and College Football Playoff appearance in 2021. Their luck ran out during the Orange Bowl semifinal, though, as they lost in blowout fashion to Georgia. Prior to joining Michigan, Harbaugh spent four seasons as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, where he reached three NFC championship games and one Super Bowl (2013).
As for O'Connell, he's served as the Rams' offensive coordinator for the past two seasons, and prior to joining Sean McVay's staff, he worked in the same role for the Washington Commanders (2019). A former third-round pick in the 2008 draft, O'Connell's offense ranked eighth in the league in average points (27.1) and ninth in average yards (372.1) in 17 games this regular season.
The entire conversation between Braun and Lawrence can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow After Hours With Amy Lawrence on Twitter @ALawRadio and @AfterHoursCBS, and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.