John Harbaugh said Tuesday that he “thinks the Michigan thing is done now” as an option for his brother.
Ex-Michigan wide receiver and current ESPN college football analyst Desmond Howard said Wednesday that the “Harbaugh option no longer exists” and that he feels the Stanford coach “wants to chase a Lombardi Trophy not a national championship trophy.”
Now, the man who hoped to hire Jim Harbaugh is concurring with those assessments of Harbaugh’s coaching future. Speaking at the press conference announcing the dismissal of Rich Rodriguez, athletic director David Brandon all but conceded that Harbaugh has been ruled out as a potential replacement.
“I personally believe Jim Harbaugh is headed to the NFL,” Brandon said. “My personal belief is that Jim Harbaugh is going to end up with a really, really challenging opportunity in the NFL.”
Brandon also admitted that he’s spoken to Harbaugh prior to today, but denies reports that he has offered a contract to the Michigan alum.
“I have talked to Jim Harbaugh, I will continue to talk to Jim Harbaugh. He’s a Michigan man,” Brandon said.
Michigan will not form a search committee to find Rodriguez’s replacement, whether it’s Harbaugh or not; rather, Brandon will head the search himself, with input from several people he trusts with connections to the school.