Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh reacts to a play against Alabama during the first half of the Rose Bowl. Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Why Jim Harbaugh is 'in play' for Raiders HC opening

By Clark Dalton | Last updated 1/3/24

The dots between Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and the Las Vegas Raiders are starting to connect.

Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported the 60-year-old recently hired agent Don Yee, who also represents former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. The future Hall of Famer is in the process of buying a minority ownership share of the Raiders.

"The buzz of him being in play for the Raiders has been ongoing since Davis fired McDaniels on Halloween night, but it wasn't clear how interested Harbaugh was in leaving Michigan for the NFL," wrote Bonsignore. "The hiring of Yee changes all that, and as an NFL source with knowledge of the situation indicated Tuesday, Harbaugh to the Raiders is very much 'in play.'"

During a Wednesday episode of ESPN's "Get Up," college football commentator Paul Finebaum predicted Harbaugh will return to the NFL due to the NCAA's ongoing investigation into Michigan's sign-stealing scandal.

.@finebaum is CONFIDENT that Jim Harbaugh will leave Michigan for the NFL after the National Championship pic.twitter.com/TPEOu9fA38
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) January 3, 2024

Las Vegas hiring Harbaugh would make some sense. He served as San Francisco's head coach from 2011-14, posting a 44-19-1 record and led the 49ers to a Super Bowl XLVII appearance.

Given his résumé, however, he will attract multiple suitors. Interim HC Antonio Pierce seems like a solid second option if the Raiders can't land him. He's 4-4 since he replaced Josh McDaniels and has helped the defense improve. The Raiders (7-9) are eighth in the NFL in points allowed (19.8).

He might excel with a better QB. Rookie Aidan O'Connell has a below-average 36.9 QBR in 10 games. Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports predicted the Raiders will take Washington's Michael Penix Jr. — a 2023 Heisman finalist — with the 11th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

More importantly, star players, such as wide receiver Davante Adams and defensive end Maxx Crosby, will be "strong supporters of Pierce," per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.

More must-reads: