Jim Harbaugh - Pro Football Rumors

Combine Pressers: Steelers, Bucs, Broncos, 49ers

February 18th, 2015 at 9:59am CST by Luke Adams

48 head coaches or general managers are scheduled to speak today, tomorrow, and Friday at the NFL’s scouting combine in Indianapolis, with the Eagles, Saints, and Patriots the only teams not represented on this year’s schedule. Those mini-pressers are already underway, so let’s round up a few of the notable comments made by the men who have spoken to the media so far. All links go to the Twitter accounts of various NFL reporters in attendance….

Steelers GM Kevin Colbert:

Contract talks between Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers are “progressing,” according to Colbert. With Big Ben heading into the final year of his current deal, the two sides are expected to work out a new agreement at some point during the offseason, and the GM is very confident it can be done within a traditional cap structure.
Despite the fact that LeGarrette Blount ultimately played a major role for the Super Bowl champion Patriots, Colbert said today that he and his club have no regrets about parting ways with the running back during the season.
While Colbert said he’d love to bring back free-agent-to-be Jason Worilds, he didn’t convey a ton of confidence that something will get done, telling reporters, “Maybe he comes back, maybe he moves on.” Per Colbert, the outside linebacker may need to test the open market to gauge his value.

Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith:

Calling Josh McCown a “lifelong friend,” Smith said he thought it was in both the team’s and the quarterback’s interests to part ways earlier this month.
The Buccaneers’ new coaches like Mike Glennon, so the plan right now is to move forward with Glennon at quarterback — he’s the only signal-caller on the roster at the moment, but Smith thinks he has the potential to be a solid NFL starter.
While Glennon may be atop the Tampa Bay depth chart by default for now, Smith also addressed the idea of selecting a quarterback with the first overall pick in April. According to the head coach, the Bucs aren’t put off by Jameis Winston‘s off-field issues, and would be comfortable with the idea of making him the face of their franchise. The vetting process for both Winston and Marcus Mariota is ongoing, and Smith says the team has already “talked to a lot of people” about both prospects.
Asked about Charles Tillman and Lance Briggs, two potential free agents whom used to play for Smith in Chicago, the head coach said he’s not sure how much interest they’ll generate, but he believes they can still be positive contributors.

Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak:

Although Kubiak said he has received no assurances that Peyton Manning will be back with the Broncos, all indications are pointing toward him returning. The new Denver head coach talked about adjusting his offense to suit Manning’s skills, which strongly suggest he expects to be coaching the future Hall-of-Famer.
According to Kubiak, he had a “good conversation” with Wes Welker, who says he’s feeling good and wants to play in 2015. Of course, the receiver doesn’t have a contract yet, so there’s no guarantee he’ll continue playing for the Broncos. Denver would “love to have him back” though, says Kubiak.
Kubiak expects the transition from a 4-3 defense under Jack Del Rio to a 3-4 scheme under Wade Phillips to go fairly smoothly.

49ers GM Trent Baalke:

Baalke intends to meet with veteran defensive end Justin Smith after the combine to determine whether or not Smith wants to return for a 15th NFL season in 2015.
Asked about wide receiver prospects at the combine and in the draft, Baalke said, “It’s no mystery, we’re looking for guys who can run.”
Baalke declined to comment on Jim Harbaugh‘s recent suggestion that the former head coach’s departure from the 49ers was the team’s decision and not his own. “He’s moved on and we’ve moved on,” the GM said.
According to the Niners GM, the team’s head coaching job was offered to “one person and one person only” (Jim Tomsula), meaning the club never officially offered the position to Adam Gase. Baalke did confirm that the Niners made an effort to retain defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, but that was dependent on who became the head coach.

NFC Notes: Harbaugh, Suh, Rams

February 13th, 2015 at 8:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh shared some thoughts about his former employer on the Tim Kawakami Show, telling the San Jose Mercury News columnist his parting with the 49ers “wasn’t exactly mutual.”

“I didn’t leave the 49ers. I felt like the 49ers left me,” Harbaugh told Kawakami. The successful coach quickly exited San Francisco for Ann Arbor, Michigan, just after his fourth season as an NFL head coach concluded.

Mired in what appeared to be a consistent struggle with upper management, Harbaugh left despite taking the 49ers to three straight NFC title games, a destination the franchise hadn’t seen since 1997. Harbaugh also confirmed he was told he wouldn’t be back with the 49ers after a Week 15 loss in Seattle. The current Michigan coach, who will work for $5MM this season, didn’t deny then-defensive line coach Jim Tomsula was campaigning for his old job before getting it in January.

“There was definitely a point where you walk down the halls and you … I wasn’t reading anything that was on the Internet, I was really focused on doing my job … but definitely walk down the halls and people look away or they look at you and you know something’s going on,” Harbaugh told Kawakami.

On to those who plan to be paid by NFL franchises this season …

If franchised, Ndamukong Suh‘s salary will balloon into the stratosphere reserved for baseball players and Roger Goodell, but Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin doesn’t care at this point, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. He plans on the free agent defensive tackle returning for a sixth season in the Motor City. Of course, there are other deciding voices on this expensive matter. Suh would draw a staggering $26.9MM should the Lions franchise him. The former No. 2 overall pick’s cap number was north of $22MM last season, according to OverTheCap.com. The near-$27MM figure would represent more than 19% of the Lions’ overall salary cap if they exercise this option. The team has 23 free agents and only $14.5MM worth of cap space, so some major restructuring would be necessary to make Austin’s ideal vision come to fruition.
Rams coach Jeff Fisher shed some light on his recent offensive coordinator hire, per ESPN’s Nick Wagoner on Twitter, saying it was going to be an in-house candidate. Fisher also noted he had only one in-person interview — Nathaniel Hackett — and a couple of phone conversations with Kyle Shanahan and Adam Gase (via Wagner on Twitter) before promoting quarterbacks coach Frank Cignetti. Jeff Garcia was interviewed for the quarterback coach job on Thursday and Friday, but more interviews are coming (Twitter link).
Amid another contract renegotiation, Larry Fitzgerald could finally enter the free agent market, but Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic explains why the 31-year-old Fitzgerald departing would not be the right move for his own sake. Fitzgerald is due $8MM if he’s on the roster when the new league year begins March 10, but that contract carries a $23.6MM cap charge, which is probably a non-starter for most players, let alone a one who hasn’t topped 1,000 receiving yards in a season since 2011. The Cardinals need to slash more than $10MM, according to OverTheCap.com, to move under the salary cap by March 10, and Fitzgerald’s deal is front and center.

49ers Coaching Notes: Lewis, Pendergast

January 31st, 2015 at 4:32pm CST by Rob DiRe

As the Patriots and Seahawks are readying themselves for the big game tomorrow, a former Super Bowl hopeful is prepare to build on a season that crashed down in flames. The 49ers had a disappointing 2014 season, involving injuries to key players, regression from others, and a huge coaching shakeup that leaves them filling out a new staff after missing the playoffs.

Here are some notes surrounding the 49ers’ coaching staff:

After Jim Harbaugh and his staff were among the highest paid in the NFL, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com looked at whether or not the organization was being cheap in hiring the new staff. New head coach Jim Tomsula will make $1.5MM less than Harbaugh would have had he kept his position, and his assistants were among the highest paid in the league. Maiocco writes that whether they were being cheap or not, the 49ers were unlikely to pay any assistant approaching the $2MM Vic Fangio made last year.
According to sources, Harbaugh was told by the organization that he would not be welcomed back as head coach of the 49ers following a December 14th loss to the Seahawks, writes Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News (via Twitter).
Clancy Pendergast will likely be hired as the 49ers inside linebackers coach, reports Alex Marvez of Fox Sports 1 (via Twitter). Pendergrast was formerly defensive coordinator in Arizona and Kansas City before taking jobs at Cal and USC. He had been interviewing for defensive coordinator positions with LSU, Utah, and under Jay Gruden in Washington D.C. (via Twitter).
Marvez also reports that former Falcons defensive backs coach Tim Lewis will be taking the same position in San Francisco (via Twitter). He will be replacing Ed Donatell, and has spent time as a defensive coordinator with both the Steelers and Giants (via Twitter).
The hiring of both Lewis and Pendergast means that 49ers coach Tomsula has four former defensive coordinators working as assistants on his staff, according to Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News. Eric Mangini will serve as the team’s defensive coordinator and Jason Tarver has been named the outside linebackers coach.
While the coaching staff has not been officially announced, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee has put together a list of who has been named and expected to be on the staff.

Coaching Notes: Johnson, Falcons, Kubiak, Harbaugh

January 24th, 2015 at 10:49am CST by Ben Levine

Following a career that featured stops with the Giants and Jets, former NFL linebacker Pepper Johnson is returning to New York. The 50-year-old will be joining Todd Bowles staff as the Jets‘ defensive line coach, the team announced.

Johnson was on the Patriots coaching staff for 14 seasons, which included stints as the team’s linebacker and defensive line coach. He spent last season as the Bills defensive line coach.

Let’s take a look at some more coaching notes from around the league…

Mike Jones of The Washington Post tweets that the Falcons have interest in coach Raheem Morris, and NFL Network’s Albert Breer reports (via Twitter) that Washington has granted Atlanta permission to interview their defensive backs coach.
Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak told Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun that he “had a blast” as the Ravens offensive coordinator. The 53-year-old is also fond of his replacement in Baltimore, former Bears head coach Marc Trestman. “I think Marc will be a really good fit for Joe [Flacco]. Marc has a good personality. Joe is a mild-mannered guy, but he’s a fiery competitor on the field. I think he and Marc will do very well together.”
Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free Press had some interesting notes on Jim Harbaugh‘s contract with Michigan. If the coach were to leave his contract early, he’d owe the school a prorated portion of his $2MM signing bonus. The contract also calls for flexibility should the total amount eventually fall below market value.

49ers Notes: Tomsula, Smith, Harbaugh

January 15th, 2015 at 7:59pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers have a new head coach in Jim Tomsula, but he’d rather not be compared to his predecessor, as Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes.

“For whatever reasons, the job was open and I interviewed and that’s where it is. I get that. In terms of the fan base, I don’t believe I do anybody any good trying to justify anything. I’m not going to do that. I don’t have a bad word to say about anything that’s happened in the last four years. You can’t. We won a lot of games. We didn’t do what we were accustomed of doing (this year). I got it.”

“I’m not Jim Harbaugh. And Jim Harbaugh is not Jim Tomsula. I’m not trying to be that guy, and that’s no disrespect to him. I am comfortable with who I am. I’m very comfortable and I’m convicted in what I believe. I’m excited about it,” Tomsula said.

More from today’s presser in San Francisco..

49ers defensive end Justin Smith is reportedly set to retire after completing his fourteenth NFL season. GM Trent Baalke would ostensibly like to have him back in the fold, but he won’t start a full court press right away. The GM said that he plans to give him several weeks after the season ends before calling him to see if he wants to play, according to Eric Branch of The San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter).
It sounds like Baalke will have a big hand in the hiring of assistants, referring to it as “our staff,” as Maiocco tweets.
“[The] job was offered to one person and one person only, and that was Jim Tomsula,” Baalke said, according to Maiocco (link).
Team CEO Jed York said Tomsula is the head coach not just for one specific reason, but for his body of work and all he brings to the table, Maiocco tweets.
When asked if he has spoken with Harbaugh, Tomsula said “No, I haven’t. I have not,” according to Branch (on Twitter).
When he heard speculation in 2014 that he could be the next head coach of the team, Tomsula said it was “terribly uncomfortable” for him, according to Maiocco (link).

Michigan Hires Jim Harbaugh

December 30th, 2014 at 11:40am CST by Luke Adams

11:40am: ESPN’s Michele Steele provides a full breakdown of Harbaugh’s deal (via Twitter), which includes a number of potential incentives and bonuses.

11:13am: Officially announcing the hiring of Harbaugh at a press conference, Hackett confirmed that the former Niners coach signed a seven-year, $35MM contract (Twitter link via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com).

TUESDAY, 9:26am: According to John U. Bacon (Twitter links), Harbaugh’s salary with Michigan will be about $5MM a year plus incentives, which is a similar deal to the one he had with the Niners. Bacon says that Harbaugh told Michigan AD Jim Hackett he didn’t want to be the highest-paid coach in college football, and that he was more concerned about pay for his assistants.

Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports reported earlier that the Raiders’ offer to Harbaugh was higher than Michigan’s, which makes more sense if Oakland just had to top $5MM or so, rather than approximately $8MM, as had been previously reported.

MONDAY, 7:22pm: The contract is signed, according to David Jesse and Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free Press.

9:30am: As expected, Jim Harbaugh will be the next head coach at the University of Michigan, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, who says the school has told its biggest boosters that a deal with Harbaugh is done and that a news conference is scheduled for Tuesday. Albert Breer of the NFL Network also confirms (via Twitter) that the agreement between Harbaugh and Michigan is done, as had been suggested this weekend by reporters such as John U. Bacon, Dave Feldman of CSNBayArea.com, Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports.

While details on Harbaugh’s new contract with the Wolverines aren’t currently known, a report earlier in December indicated that Michigan was willing to pay $48MM for six years. Breer reported this morning that the deal could ultimately get up to $9MM per year, since there was some “quiet bidding” over the weekend.

While Harbaugh’s departure from San Francisco had been anticipated for some time, he never recorded a losing season with the Niners, compiling a 44-19-1 record in his four seasons with the team. He’ll look to bring some of that success, which included three appearances in the NFC championship game and a loss in the Super Bowl, to a Wolverines team that had a disappointing 2014 season under former head coach Brady Hoke.

The Raiders were among the NFL teams with interest in Harbaugh, and Mike Silver of the NFL Network suggested today (Twitter link) that Oakland owner Mark Davis planned to speak to Harbaugh this morning. There was a belief that the former Niners coach preferred to remain in the NFL, but even with a handful of head coaching jobs opening up today, it appears he couldn’t resist the allure of returning to Michigan, particularly on a deal that makes him the highest-paid coach in NCAA history.

As for the Niners, who agreed to part ways with Harbaugh, Peter King of TheMMQB.com hears that defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will be interviewed, and that GM Trent Baalke may have interest in UCLA coach Jim Mora. Additionally, multiple sources have informed Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) that Mike Shanahan could be a candidate for the San Francisco job. For now, Baalke is set to meet with the team’s assistant coaches to help clarify their futures, per Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.

Coach Rumors: Raiders, Jets, Ryan, Holmgren

December 30th, 2014 at 8:47am CST by Luke Adams

Black Monday wasn’t quite as eventful around the NFL in 2014 as it has been in some recent years, with only three head coaches being handed their walking papers. Still, with the Raiders on the lookout for a more permanent head coach, and the 49ers and Jim Harbaugh agreeing to part ways, that makes a total of five teams currently conducting coaching searches. That should make for an interesting few weeks, as those clubs – the Jets, Falcons, Bears, Raiders, and Niners – eye several of the same candidates. Here are the latest coaching-related rumblings from across the league:

Current 49ers assistant and former Browns and Jets head coach Eric Mangini is scheduled to interview with the Raiders for the club’s head coaching job, a source tells Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link). In his five seasons in New York and Cleveland, Mangini recorded a 33-47 overall record, earning one playoff berth with the Jets. In addition to Mangini, Eagles offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur will also interview for the Raiders’ position, according to Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com (Twitter link).
Garafolo has more details on the Raiders‘ head coaching hunt, reporting that the team actually offered more money to Harbaugh than the University of Michigan did, extending a proposal that would have made him the NFL’s highest-paid head coach (Twitter video link).
In addition to setting up an interview with Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, the Jets have also requested permission to speak to Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, Seahawks assistant head coach Tom Cable, Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak, and Chargers offensive coordinator Frank Reich, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
While former Jets head coach Rex Ryan intends to explore potential head coaching opportunities, he’s meeting with ESPN executives today for a possible role with the network, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). It sounds as if TV would be Ryan’s second choice after a head coaching job, but it may depend on what opportunities are available for him.
Speaking to Dave Mahler of KJR in Seattle (Twitter link), former Packers and Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren said he’s “gotten a couple of inquiries” from teams searching for a head coach, though he didn’t identify the clubs. According to Mahler (via Twitter), Holmgren said he’s “mulling things over” when it comes to current coaching opportunities.
The Buccaneers currently have an opening at offensive coordinator, and the team is interested in Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Atlanta has kept Koetter on board for now, after firing head coach Mike Smith yesterday, but if the team parts ways with its OC, the Bucs will almost certainly be in touch.

49ers Notes: Beckham, Tomsula, Harbaugh

December 29th, 2014 at 10:43pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers liked Odell Beckham Jr. quite a bit in the 2014 draft, but GM Trent Baalke says the price was just too rich for his blood, as Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. “He’s a heck of talent,” Baalke said. “He was graded as a heck of a talent by our scouts, by our coaches, by all parties. But what it would have taken to make that move would have cost us our first-, our second- and one of our third-round picks and maybe something on top of that. So, in essence, you would have been giving up (cornerback) Jimmie Ward, you would have been giving up (center) Marcus Martin or (linebacker) Chris Borland and you would have given up (running back) Carlos Hyde, plus somebody else. So you would have given up three young quality players to get one. And that was decision that collectively we weren’t willing to make.” Tonight’s look at the Niners..

The 49ers will be interviewing their defensive line coach, Jim Tomsula, for the head coaching opening, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
Baalke said the 49ers will spend “seven to ten days interviewing” candidates to be team’s next head coach, tweets Lindsay Jones of USA Today.
Baalke says he will have control of the 53-man roster with the new head coach, according to Christian Gin of Examiner (on Twitter). He went on to say that at least one NFL team contacted him about some possible trade for Jim Harbaugh.

Coaching Rumors: Harbaugh, Coughlin, Gase

December 29th, 2014 at 11:41am CST by Luke Adams

There has been plenty of action since our first round of coaching rumors this morning, with five teams – the 49ers, Raiders, Jets, Falcons, and Bears – now in the market for new head coaches. We’ve had enough news and rumors since then to warrant another round-up of the latest coaching-related updates, so let’s dive in….

Although an agreement appears to be in place between Jim Harbaugh and the University of Michigan, NFL teams like the Bears, Jets, and Raiders continue to make overtures to try to change his mind, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report confirms (via Twitter) that the Raiders are still making a push to try to land Harbaugh, even if it looks like a long shot at this point.
Giants head coach Tom Coughlin has been told he’ll be back to coach the team in 2015, but has a meeting scheduled for this afternoon with co-owner John Mara to discuss possible changes to the coaching staff, writes Dan Graziano of ESPN.com.
The Falcons and 49ers have already requested permission to speak to Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). Coaches who currently work for playoff teams with first-round byes are allowed to interview for jobs this week, so Gase is one coordinator whose name figures to surface frequently in the next few days.
In addition to Gase, the Falcons may also look to talk to Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, tweets D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com has several tidbits for us, tweeting that Jack Del Rio could emerge as a coaching candidate for the Raiders, the Falcons will contact Rex Ryan, and Mike Shanahan could have interest in the Bears‘ job.
Former 49ers head coach Mike Singletary, who currently serves as an advisor to NFL executive Troy Vincent, would have interest in interviewing for the Bears‘ head coaching job, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Coaching Rumors: Ryan, Falcons, Bears, 49ers

December 29th, 2014 at 7:54am CST by Luke Adams

Black Monday is underway, and a handful of teams are expected to make announcements today regarding changes to their coaching staffs and/or front offices. Here are a few of the latest rumors to start off the day:

The Jets were the first team to formally announce the firing of a head coach this morning, and Rex Ryan appreciated the quick, definitive decision from owner Woody Johnson, since he feels as if he has a chance at another head coaching job, as Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweets. Per Mehta (Twitter links), Ryan will explore head coaching opportunities, and if he doesn’t land a job, he believes his next role will be with ESPN — he doesn’t have interest in any defensive coordinator positions.
Mike Smith is “absolutely done” in Atlanta, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. That coincides with what we’ve heard in recent weeks, and is no surprise, considering how the Falcons finished their regular season yesterday. Meanwhile, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com indicates (via Twitter) that while Smith’s tenure with the Falcons is “on life support,” the same doesn’t appear to be true for general manager Thomas Dimitroff.
While multiple reports have suggested the Bears will likely part ways with head coach Marc Trestman, Trestman himself is preparing as if he’ll return for the 2015 season, writes Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune. Rapoport tweets that the Bears head coach figures to make a “strong case” to save his job, perhaps pointing to the performance by quarterbacks not named Jay Cutler in his system. Still, it’s hard to imagine the club bringing Trestman back for another year.
The 49ers are in no hurry to name their next head coach, according to Rapoport, who tweets that the search is expected to be “lengthy and methodical.” One in-house candidate, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, won’t be joining Jim Harbaugh in Ann Arbor, says Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. As for Harbaugh’s offer from Michigan, Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link) hears that it could ultimately get up to $9MM per year, since there was some “quiet bidding” over the weekend.
The Raiders were “truly in the mix” for Harbaugh before he decided to go to Michigan, reports Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports, adding that Harbaugh was the Raiders’ top choice and they were disappointed not to land him. Oakland is now expected to cast a wide net as the club attempts to identify its next coach, though if it were up to the players, perhaps interim coach Tony Sparano would be the top choice, says Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group. Sparano will have the opportunity to interview for the permanent job, tweets Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com.
Titans CEO Tommy Smith reiterated yesterday that head coach Ken Whisenhunt and GM Ruston Webster will both be back for the 2015 season, writes Terry McCormick of 247Sports.com.