ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said Tuesday that the door is closed on his potential return to the NFL.
Harbaugh said he took a look at possibly coaching the Minnesota Vikings -- interviewing with them last month on signing day -- to find out if he wanted to be back in the league after seven seasons with the Wolverines.
“Ultimately, I decided this is where I wanted to be,” Harbaugh said during a news conference to discuss spring practice. “And really, a lot of gratitude for that.”
The Vikings made Harbaugh’s decision a little easier because they didn’t offer him the job. Minnesota ended up hiring Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell.
Before the 58-year-old Harbaugh signed a new deal at Michigan, he told his boss and former teammate, athletic director Warde Manuel, that he would not revisit the possibilities of coaching in the NFL again.
“That’s how I felt, and how I feel,” Harbaugh told reporters.
Harbaugh is 61-24 at Michigan, including one desperately needed win over Ohio State last season.
The school reworked his five-year deal last month, putting him under contract through the 2026 season and guaranteeing he will make more than $7 million annually. Harbaugh will have $1 million contributed to his retirement plan each year and has a chance to make millions more with performance bonuses.
Looking and sounding upbeat in a news conference that lasted longer than most, Harbaugh insisted he no longer dreams of winning a Super Bowl and is focused entirely on helping the Wolverines win their first national championship since 1997.
“We could win the national championship, and that’s plenty good,” he said.
Copyright 2022 by The Associated Press