College Football: 5 head coaches ready to make NFL leap

MIAMI, FL - DECEMBER 29: Head coach Lincoln Riley of the Oklahoma Sooners reacts against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL - DECEMBER 29: Head coach Lincoln Riley of the Oklahoma Sooners reacts against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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3. Jim Harbaugh, Michigan

Jim Harbaugh back to the NFL just makes sense. He was good with Stanford, but many believed he was the next star NFL coach when he went to San Fransisco. He went to three NFC Championship games in his first three seasons. He was a couple of plays away from winning a Super Bowl against his brother. It just seemed like the future. However, a few unsuccessful seasons led to an exit, and that made him decide to coach his alma mater.

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So far, Harbaugh hasn’t lived up to the hype at Michigan. I’m not sure how many more years he can go without beating Ohio State and still have job security. Harbaugh was simply a better NFL coach. That’s not a bad thing. Saban wasn’t a great NFL coach, but he’s the best to ever coach the game in college. Harbaugh is the opposite of that, on a slightly smaller scale.

However, there are a few things that will keep Harbaugh from leaving Michigan. The fact that it’s his home is a big one. He really wants to succeed with the Wolverines. He’s also well-liked in college. College fanbases tend to show more fondness to their coaches than in the NFL. He’s also going to have a more stable job. If he manages to beat Ohio State once or twice, he will probably get a contract extension.

Harbaugh also gets longer deals worth more money in college. It’s just how the game works. Donors are willing to spend more on coaches than NFL owners. That’s why Dabo Swinney’s contract extension was considered normal while Jon Gruden’s was groundbreaking.

If the right team offered him a lucrative contract, I’d be surprised if Harbaugh turned down the offer.