If you have an opening at head coach in the NFL, current Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh should be at the top of your list.
And for the Miami Dolphins, who decided to fire head coach Brian Flores on Monday, Harbaugh should be the coach they go all-in for.
Flores was clearly the scapegoat in Miami, especially after having back-to-back winning seasons.
Yes, Miami didn’t make the playoffs, but Flores’ coaching ability was on display as the team started 1-7 and then finished the year 9-8.
Flores deserves more credit than blame for the 2021 season; however, all that means nothing now as he is currently looking for a new job. Miami is also looking for a head coach, and there is only one coach on the market that would be an upgrade over Flores, in my opinion.
Jim Harbaugh No Matter What.
Harbaugh is an elite head coach. There will be people who try and say he hasn’t won anything at Michigan or bring up him getting blown out against Georgia in the college football playoffs.
Whoever says this stuff has short-sighted thoughts, and honestly, they probably don’t even remember how good Harbaugh was in the NFL before Michigan.
Miami has been requesting interviews with a few coaches around the NFL, but hiring anyone other than Harbaugh could be a huge mistake.
I know that owner Stephen Ross said he would not be the one to take Harbaugh away from his alma mater Michigan, but he didn’t say anything about being the one to welcome Harbaugh if Harbaugh himself decides to leave Michigan.
Hiring Harbaugh is a no-brainer in my eyes, and here are three reasons the Miami Dolphins should hire Jim Harbaugh to replace Brian Flores as head coach.
3. Jim Harbaugh is a proven winner in the NFL
Jim Harbaugh just went 12-2 at Michigan. Some will say this isn’t impressive, but I’d argue it was extremely impressive, and I don’t see Michigan winning that many games without Harbaugh. But guess what, who cares about what he did in college.
His accomplishments in college football don’t mean anything when you get to the league, but guess what? Harbaugh has been in the league, and he’s been elite.
In Harbaugh’s NFL coaching career with the 49ers (4 years 2011-2014), he went 44-19-1 in the revaluation season. He has a .695 winning percentage and has made the playoffs three times. In those three playoff seasons, Harbaugh was 5-3, making the Super Bowl once (lost) and the NFC Championship game all three seasons (lost twice, won once).
Anyone that tries to sell you that Harbaugh was not a good NFL coach is selling you lies.
Harbaugh’s record in the NFL speaks for itself.
2. Jim Harbaugh could bring in an impressive NFL staff
I have defended Flores for his coaching effort this season, especially with winning games being at a disadvantage at quarterback.
However, Flores struggled to build a staff, and it was my biggest knock on him. I don’t care that he was hard on Tua Tagovailoa and his players. Some of the reports coming out regarding all of that actually concern me more about the players being an issue than what Flores said.
Miami had the worst offensive coaching staff in the NFL this season. I don’t think there would be a debate from anyone on that. From top to bottom, it was atrocious.
That is why hiring Harbaugh would be amazing. Harbaugh would be able to build an impressive staff. He has an elite coaching tree and could bring in some veteran NFL coaches, as well as some rising stars.
I could see Harbaugh bringing in Vic Fangio as DC and getting James Urban from his brother as OC. Just the thought of those two coaches coming excites me, not to mention the rest of the staff he could build.
Getting the head coach hire right is obviously important, but they also need to make sure the new head coach’s staff is impressive. And Harbaugh would do that.
1. Jim Harbaugh is a HEAD COACH
My other big knock on Flores, and ultimately why I’ve come to peace with him being the scapegoat in Miami, is knowing he wasn’t truly a head coach (yet). He could have gotten there, but Miami decided he wasn’t going to. It is what it is!
With Jim Harbaugh, that would never be a worry.
Jim Harbaugh is a head coach.
He isn’t a defensive coordinator that is hired as a head coach. He isn’t an offensive coordinator hired as a head coach.
Jim Harbaugh is a HEAD COACH. And Miami desperately needs that.
He understands how to be a head coach. He understands that he needs to be the guy that keeps it all together while allowing the coaches he hires to coach.
Harbaugh wouldn’t put his effort just on offense or defense. His effort would be on the entire team, and even though I believe Flores changed the culture in Miami, I think Harbaugh could change it even more.
No matter what anyone says, or whatever other names get mentioned for the Miami Dolphins head coach opening. There is one and only one name that you should be pulling for. And that name is Jim Harbaugh.
Jim Harbaugh No Matter What.