As the season winds down to its final week the Bears are expected to let current coach Matt Nagy go. With that being the case the Bears after a disappointing season are looking for improvement. The latest news out of the Michigan and Bears organization is that Jim Harbaugh is tempted to join the NFL. After coaching the in NFL from 2011-2014 he is definitely not new to the NFL. Not to mention that Harbaugh played for the Chicago Bears for six years. Even though Harbaugh’s college coaching has not been great, could he be a possible coaching candidate for the Bears?
Harbaugh’s Success in The NFL
Harbaugh has been coaching the Michigan Wolverines since 2014 and has a 59-23 record. The downside is Harbaugh before this year was 2-9 versus unranked opponents until the defeat of number two Ohio State. The Wolverines were able to achieve the third seed in the college football playoffs but were no match for the Georgia Bulldogs, which is potentially the reason why Harbaugh is tempted to return to the NFL after a disaster of a first-time CFP experience.
Before Harbaugh’s start at Michigan, he was the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers for four years. Harbaugh’s record in the NFL was 44-19 bringing his team to three NFC championship games. Harbaugh also brought the 49ers to a Super Bowl in 2013 against the Ravens, which was known has the Harbaugh bowl because the two head coaches were brothers. Even with Harbaugh being a bit of a letdown to Michigan Harbaugh has proven that he has what it takes to create a winning culture in any league.
Is Harbaugh the Right Fit
Harbaugh has had success in both college coaching and the NFL but does it mean he would with the Bears? Â With so many potential coaches available this off-season is going to be a tough decision for the Bears. Not only is it about finding the right coach it is about convincing him to join the team. It is important that Bears make Chicago a destination for these coaches to win games. There are a lot of teams looking to land these new coaches and the Bears have to be able to put their best foot forward.
Harbaugh coached a young Colin Kaepernick who would end up leading the 49ers to the super bowl. This is a good sign considering both Fields and Kaepernick have a similar style of play. Not to mention that Kaepernick was also somewhat new to the NFL and had to be coached through it. Harbaugh’s bread and butter is the power run game that limits turnovers and allows his team to control possession. Fortunately, the Bears have a strong set of backs that would fit perfectly in this scheme. On the other hand, though the Bears will need to make serious adjustments to their offensive line to be successful. There is not much passing in Harbaugh’s offense. There are mostly simple passes which could be good for a young Fields. Harbaugh is a possible candidate and one that checks the boxes that could help lead the Bears to success in future years to come.