After a brief dalliance with the Carolina Panthers, Jim Harbaugh is turning his attention to the Denver Broncos.
Harbaugh is set to interview for the Broncos head coaching job in the coming days, according to the NFL Network, after his most successful season at Michigan. The Broncos are also reportedly interviewing former Saints head coach Sean Payton, among other candidates.
Harbaugh, 59, recently spoke with Panthers owner David Tepper about their head coaching vacancy, but it was Harbaugh -- not Tepper -- who initiated the conversation, according to CBS Sports. The Panthers have since shifted their focus elsewhere.
Harbaugh's latest interest in a return to the NFL, where he coached the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance and three trips to the NFC Championship game from 2011-14, comes amid reported NCAA violations at Michigan that could lead to a multi-game suspension for Harbaugh next season.
It also comes amid Harbaugh trying to shoot down "rumors and speculation" about his NFL interest. As he said in a statement last week, "While no one knows what the future holds, I expect that I will be enthusiastically coaching Michigan in 2023."
If that's truly the case, Harbaugh could be using the Broncos interview as leverage for more money. He signed a five-year extension with Michigan last January after interviewing for and failing to land the Minnesota Vikings head coaching job, but his $8 million salary this season was less than that of Big Ten rivals Mel Tucker, Ryan Day and James Franklin.
On the heels of his interview with the Vikings, Harbaugh told Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel that his pursuit of an NFL job was a "one-time thing" and would not "be a reoccurring theme every year." A year later, he's throwing his hat back in the ring.
Or so it appears.
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