When the Jim Harbaugh-to-the-NFL-rumors start popping up, Chicago is a frequent hypothetical destination.
If such a return were set in motion, then would Bears president Kevin Warren – the former Big Ten commissioner – be a roadblock to making that possible?
That is a legitimate question when trying to guesstimate the future of Harbaugh, who remains under scrutiny with NCAA and Big Ten investigations looking into sign stealing allegations at Michigan. Harbaugh already served a school-imposed three-game suspension in 2023.
While there are reports that the NFL will not be a safe harbor from Harbaugh, the Bears have a 2-7 record, another potential quarterback question and two first-round picks heading into 2024.
MORE: Latest new on possible Jim Harbaugh suspension
Why would Jim Harbaugh be a Bears candidate?
Harbaugh spent four seasons as the San Francisco 49ers coach from 2011-14, where he compiled a 44-19-1 record, three NFC championship appearances and a Super Bowl appearance. He left the 49ers job to take the Michigan job, and he brought a briefcase to his first Big Ten Media Days appearance in Chicago on July 31, 2015. What was inside?
Harbaugh played quarterback for seven seasons in Chicago from 1987-93 for Ditka and later Dave Wannstedt. The Bears made the playoffs in 1990-91. Harbaugh would be the largest persona Chicago has had at head coach since Ditka and a popular pick with a fan-base that is on its fourth coach since Love Smith left after the 2012 season.
Marc Trestman, John Fox, Matt Nagy and Matt Eberflus have combined for one winning season and a 66-105 record ever since. That's a .386 winning percentage. Harbaugh had a .711 winning percentage with the 49ers.
Kevin Warren's relationship with Jim Harbaugh
Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer detailed a potential snag with Harbaugh coming to the Bears during an Oct. 24 radio appearance.
"The one hangup with him (Harbaugh) going to Chicago is the guy who would be hiring him there," Breer said. "I don't think those two are all warm and cuddly."
Bears president Kevin Warren is that guy, of course. Warren served as Big Ten commissioner from 2020-23. Warren was the commissioner during COVID-19 in 2020, and he canceled the Big Ten football season on Aug. 11, 2020. Harbaugh was one of the critics of that decision.
"Our student-athletes and coaches want to compete," Harbaugh said after the decision. "They have committed, trained and prepared their entire lives for this opportunity, and I know how much they're disappointed at this time. I share in their disappointment today."
The Big Ten ultimately did return to the field that season, and Warren stayed on as commissioner through Michigan’s Big Ten championship seasons in 2021 and 2022.
Warren also was commissioner when the NCAA launched an investigation into Michigan into whether Harbaugh had impermissible contact with recruits during COVID-19. Michigan self-imposed a three-game suspension on Harbaugh to start the 2023 season.
MORE: Why Jim Harbaugh can't easily escape to NFL if he's suspended
How does Michigan scandal affect Jim Harbaugh’s return to NFL?
Harbaugh remains under investigation by the NCAA and Big Ten for a sign-stealing scandal, one that has yet to play out. Still, the Wolverines are 80-25 under Harbaugh and Chicago is desperate for a winner.
This would make for a strange reunion with Warren, who was hired as the Bears president last offseason. Warren also has 10 years of experience with the Minnesota Vikings as executive vice president of legal affairs and CEO. Would back-to-back Big Ten scandals deter Warren from interviewing Harbaugh down the road. The optics are blurry at best.
Is there precedent? Pete Carroll left USC after the 2009 season – one year before the program was hit with a two-year bowl ban and the loss of 30-plus scholarships. Carroll was 97-19 at USC and remains the coach of the Seattle Seahawks, where he is 128-81-1 with two Super Bowl appearances since 2010.
Harbaugh interviewed with the Minnesota Vikings in 2021 but did not get the job. He later told the Detroit Free Press that he would not interview for the NFL again.
"Sure, the Super Bowl is the greatest prize in our sport," he said. "But winning a national championship. That’s pretty darn great. Let’s do that.
"There was a pull to the NFL because I got that close to the Super Bowl," he admitted, "but this was the time (to try and return.) And this is the last time. Now let’s go chase college football’s greatest prize."
While the NFL might not appear to be a "safe harbor" for Harbaugh, according to multiple reports, he still would be a popular candidate in Chicago, Las Vegas and other places.
Is the latest scandal at Michigan a parachute? Or will Harbaugh defy predictability and sign an extension with Michigan?
