On Tuesday night, a report saying Jim Harbaugh was set to become the next Vikings head coach created considerable buzz on social media. But one day later, Ian Rapoport is telling NFL fans to slow down.
“It is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a done deal,” Rapoport said on NFL Network.
Rapoport confirmed that Harbaugh is interviewing on Wednesday, but mentioned that not everyone in Minnesota may be on the same page when it comes to his candidacy.
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“From Harbaugh’s perspective, just talking to people close to him, some of whom believe they are going to get jobs, it sounds like he thinks there’s a very good chance that he gets it,” Rapoport said. “I’m not sure that he would do an interview, come here, in person, to Minnesota, without knowing that he’s gonna get it. It’s just unclear whether or not the Vikings management, specifically Vikings ownership, also are on board. So, there is going to be an interview today. Nothing is done. But at the least he is a strong candidate in Minnesota.”
According to Hub Arkush, one source told him the Bears did have a “brief phone conversation” with Harbaugh this offseason. But George McCaskey said the team announced every full interview conducted with a head coaching candidate, and Harbaugh’s name was not among those announcements.
“I’m not going to say it's between Jim and somebody in the organization, which I think may have just been trying to say, ‘Hi,’ may have been trying to read the tea leaves without asking the questions,” Arkush said on NBC Sports Chicago’s “The Rush.” “I don't know. I can't confirm that for certain, but it's a pretty good source. I think that there was a phone call and I think where that phone call ended is Jim's got decisions to make and again, he just hasn't made them.”
Harbaugh coached the 49ers from 2011-2014 and led them to one Super Bowl appearance. They had three winning seasons, but decided to leave San Francisco after an 8-8 season for Michigan. He’s coached a total of 11 seasons at the FBS college level: four with Stanford and seven with Michigan. Over that time he led the teams to a 90-45 regular season record. However, his teams only went 2-6 in bowl games, and his Wolverines only beat rival Ohio State once in six tries.
