The Latest on Jim Harbaugh's Future at Stanford

by Scott Allen on Jan 4, 2026 10:16 PM PST

Stanford women's basketball coach Tara VanDerveer was among the crowd that greeted Jim Harbaugh and the Stanford football team outside of Maples Pavilion. Does little Addison know where daddy will be coaching next season?

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Several hundred fans greeted the Stanford football team upon its return to campus this evening, less than 24 hours after the Cardinal's 40-12 thumping of Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl. ESPN's Michelle Tafoya and Rece Davis didn't attend the rally to my knowledge, but head coach Jim Harbaugh was (gasp!) asked whether he considered his future options on the return flight.

Harbaugh shook his head and said "no," but if some of today's reports are true, don't be surprised if he's announced as the new head coach of the San Francisco 49ers head coach as early as Wednesday.

The 49ers moved quickly to hire a new GM and announced that they will promote Trent Baalke from within. The Mercury News' Tim Kawakami reports that Harbaugh remains the 49ers' top target and signed off on Baalke, with whom he has shared an agent in David Dunn. Kawakami says that Harbaugh could meet with Baalke and 49ers owner Jed York on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh inidcated that his brother would not take the job at Michigan if it were to become available. Multiple media outlets reported that Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez had been fired, but those reports were apparently premature, and athletic director Dave Brandon is scheduled to meet with Rodriguez again Wednesday. Perhaps Michigan got word that the 49ers were moving toward closing the deal with Harbaugh.

In another recent development, the Oakland Raiders announced that they will not pick up the two-year option on Tom Cable's contract. Offensive coordinator Hue Jackson is considered the leading candidate to fill that vacancy.

San Franciso Chronicle sports reporter David White was on KNBR to discuss the Harbaugh speculation tonight and made a good point as to why it would make more sense for Harbaugh to jump to the NFL as opposed to Michigan, if he leaves Stanford at all.

He doesn't have to go to Michigan, because Michigan's always going to want him. He could go to the NFL and fail and Michigan will still want him.

White mentioned Cal head coach Jeff Tedford as an example of a once-coveted NFL coaching candidate whose window of opportunity passed him by. "I don't think Harbaugh's going to make that same mistake," White said.

I doubt Tedford has many regrets about staying at Cal, and while it's harsh to think that staying at Stanford could be considered a mistake, if Harbaugh's career goal is to be an NFL head coach, can you fault him for jumping at the chance? It's unlikely his stock would fall significantly next season, even if Stanford doesn't duplicate this year's success. Still, there's the possibility he will never again be such a hot commodity and have the opportunity to take an NFL position without having to leave the Bay Area.

My sense is that Harbaugh is leaning toward leaving for the 49ers, but hasn't ruled out the possibility of returning to Stanford. I think it's down to those two options and I'd put the chances (which are changing by the hour) of Harbaugh staying on the Farm at 35%. In other words, Harbaugh's return wouldn't quite top the 2007 win at USC as the Biggest Upset Ever.

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Comments

Hope the decision is made quickly

I don’t think that the odds of Harbaugh returning are as high as 3 in 10. I think that Bowlsby really screwed this up last year. An offer of a contract extension should have been made at the end of last year.

Now we have a power football team set up with more recruits designed for this scheme. There are very few experienced college coaches familiar with a system like this as it has long since gone out of style in the college game.

I still have nightmares over the Buddy Teevens years. I think Stanford football works best with a strong coach.

The coaching carousel is rapidly spinning and the number of good coaches is dwindling.

About the only quality college coach without a job is The Strange One (Mike Leach), no losing seasons. Unfortunately, his style of offense is not conducive to multiple tight end formations and fullbacks.

by jterry94 on Jan 4, 2026 11:01 PM PST reply actions

Thinking about this more

I hope that Bowlsby’s backup plan is not the second coming of Ty Willingham. He is outt of work and ran a pro-style offense while at Stanford. The Washington debacle should rule this out.

by jterry94 on Jan 5, 2026 4:33 AM PST up reply actions

Having lived through the Tedford circus, I can empathize with the whole “Will He - Won’t He” thing you guys are experiencing.

The big question is all about psychology. With Tedford, the NFL option may have been flattering, but as a person he was about building something that lasts and working with kids. In all of the early interviews he did that aspect of his personality really showed. So, when the university committed to updating the facilities, I felt pretty secure that despite the offers, he would stay at Cal as long as he could.

So, really the matter is what does Jim want? Is he the type of guy who has his ego stroked by staying somewhere and making something that lasts and grows, or is from conquering the next challenge and the next chance to add to his prestige?

From outside, he seems a bit more the latter. But then again, you know him a bit better.

Well, you're not hardcore unless you live hardcore.

by SoCal Oski on Jan 5, 2026 7:35 AM PST reply actions

Harbaugh replacement

Leach may not use the type of offensive formations that have been effective for Stanford for the last couple of years, but temperamentally, he would be a perfect fit. He’s smart and curious. He would relate very well with the Stanford team members and would understand how to motivate them.

by stanlawmed on Jan 5, 2026 8:14 AM PST reply actions

Reading Many Blogs, etc over the last few days

someone somewhere wrote something to the effect that Harbaugh is out there playing chess on the field while the other coaches are playing checkers.

Leach was the only other coach that I could say the same thing about.

The Stanford athletes that I had in my classes when I was a TA were never lazy or felt entitled so I don’t expect to see the need to lock people in closets at Stanford. I bet that he has learned that it is best not to recruit the children of ESPN employees.

by jterry94 on Jan 5, 2026 11:17 AM PST up reply actions

Leach

If Harbaugh decides to leave and the Pirate is hired as his replacement, Stanford might become even more interesting. What be yar deal, matey?

by Scott Allen on Jan 5, 2026 11:24 AM PST up reply actions

It has been a very interesting ride with Harbaugh

While I hope that it continues, if he leaves. I do want interesting to continue. There is no reason why a top academic school cannot compete in football.

Clearly, it was demonstrated over the past two years.

It needs to continue.

by jterry94 on Jan 5, 2026 12:36 PM PST up reply actions

Yeah I've been thinking about who might replace the man..........

Frankly………it just makes me sad.

The score dictated they pass

by norcaliangelsfan on Jan 5, 2026 10:01 AM PST reply actions

This isn’t the right place for this, but I always wondered why Stanford reshirted Luck— was Pritchard really better than True Frosh Luck would have been? I kind of doubt it. Did Harbaugh just feel like it was best for Luck’s development?

Anyway, I expect Harbaugh to take an NFL job soon. No idea which one. It was a fun run.

by jksnake99 on Jan 5, 2026 10:02 AM PST reply actions

Well I'll bite.

This is just strictly my opinion…………….but I think it had part to do with the fact that Coach Harbaugh knew the team wasnt that good…….didnt want to stunt the development or hinder the confidence of Luck………

And part of it had to do with loyalty to Pritchard since he was the leader of the greatest upset of all time………

Although I believe Stanford could have went to a bowl game in that year had Luck played……..I appreicate what Tavita did and all…….but he wasnt really that great of a QB.

The score dictated they pass

by norcaliangelsfan on Jan 5, 2026 10:09 AM PST up reply actions

How good true frosh Luck would have been,

or any other true frosh, is a lot harder to gauge before he ever even stands on the sideline of a game than it is after the fact. And determining if you have a guy who will be ready to go to the next level several years early, vs. might be ready to go, isn’t any easier. A lot more eligibility has been “wasted” by throwing true freshmen into the fray than has been lost by saving a season while he learns things, on and off the field, and you figure out how to best use them.

Andy Wooldridge, andy_wooldridge@yahoo.com
BuildingTheDam.Com
Go Beavs!

by AndyPanda on Jan 5, 2026 10:21 AM PST up reply actions

I doubt Tedford has many regrets about staying at Cal

As a Cal fan, I sort of do.

9/8/10: 49ers go 11-5, Lose to Falcons first round. Smitty: 3500/25/15. Gore: 1300 yards, 10 TDs. Crabtree: 1000 yards, 7 TDs. Vernon: 900 yards, 8 TDs

by MichaelClutchtree on Jan 5, 2026 11:33 AM PST reply actions

We've written off Harbaugh?

He hasn’t made his decision yet, and even though there’s a 99.99999% chance he ends up coaching in SF (Santa Clara), the fat lady hasn’t sung high enough to justify who Stanford’s next coach should be yet. JMO, though.

That said, what people need to remember is that a coaching position at Stanford is a fantastic position IF you know how the university works (Monty, Tara, Dunning, Kosty, Skip K., Maurer, Quick, etc.). If you don’t, you run into athletes that are quite capable academically, but not physically (Buddyball-Walt years) or great athletes with not so great grades (Trent Johnson). Right now, Harbaugh fits into the former category of coaches, so IF he were to move on to the pros, any coach wishing to coach at Stanford needs to understand from the outset how to balance both the athlete and Stanford student part of student-athlete. If a coach (of any sport) can do that, they’re set up for great things in Palo Alto.

by RedOscar on Jan 5, 2026 11:46 AM PST reply actions

Seems he is destined to go

Though I think of Mike Montgomery: collected a big paycheck for a couple of years with the Warriors, and then run out of town on a rail. Although they certainly wouldn’t have the recruiting cachet of Harbaugh, I think any of our assistants would do a tremendous job. Roman in particular. One has to wonder whether they aren’t, in reality, more responsible for the end product on the field than Harbaugh.

by Gus Zernial on Jan 5, 2026 1:33 PM PST reply actions

they should keep the staff together

The recruiting class looks so good that they shouldn’t blow it by putting in a new coach with all new assistants. David Shaw seems like a good pick, he’s starting to get talked about at other schools…FYI, When Ralston left after two Rose Bowls, Chuck Taylor (or was it Joe Ruetz by then?) had the choice of his two coordinators, Mike White and Jack Christensen, and took the older, more experienced, much dumber one.

by vk on Jan 5, 2026 6:50 PM PST reply actions