Where in the world is Jim Harbaugh today? Following the Stanford Cardinal’s Orange Bowl victory in Miami, it seems like Harbaugh has been criss-crossing the country as teams at the NFL and college level try to secure the services of coaching’s hottest commodity. Earlier on Thursday, it was the San Francisco 49ers reportedly securing an interview with Harbaugh. But that wasn’t the end as his whirlwind wine-and-dine tour continued.
The Miami Dolphins are also, apparently, in on the Harbaugh sweepstakes, as well. Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has a boatload of money and, even though Miami has a head coach under contract, is trying to lure the Cardinal’s head man to the pros.
The latest NFL team chasing Harbaugh down? None other than the Denver Broncos. The Broncos recently hired John Elway, a friend of Harbaugh’s who you may have seen roaming the sidelines at the Orange Bowl as an invited guest of the Stanford head coach. Wouldn’t that be an ironic twist if Harbaugh were to end up in Denver?
Lost in all of this is the possibility he may yet stay at Stanford. With all the money attached to his name now, it seems the time is ripe for Harbaugh to strike while the iron is hot. Just days ago, it seemed he was destined to stay at Stanford. Now, with dollar amounts reaching staggering levels — some upwards of $6 million — it seems like it’s only a matter of time before Harbaugh bolts for greener, richer pastures.
For fans of other Pac-10 schools, Harbaugh’s exit would be welcome news. Andrew Luck is coming back to the Cardinal, but the loss of Harbaugh weakens the Cardinal in the long term. In the meantime, it’s fun to watch NFL teams fall all over themselves in an attempt to lure Harbaugh out of Palo Alto and into the league.