4 NFL Teams That Should Hire Jim Harbaugh Away From Michigan

The Jim Harbaugh experiment at Ann Arbor hasn't gone according to plan by most metrics. The Michigan Wolverines football program hired him in order to bring the football team to the next level, and to beat Ohio State. About that...

That hasn't been the case, as he's accumulated a 1-10 record against top 10 football programs, and has yet to bring Michigan to the College Football Playoff (or beat OSU).

While his Michigan tenure appears to be on life support, that doesn't mean he can't land on his feet back into the NFL. If that's the case, here are four NFL teams that should hire Harbaugh as their next head coach.

4. Washington Redskins

This is the least surprising team on this list. The Washington Redskins fired head coach Jay Gruden following Week 5. It's been well-publicized that owner Dan Snyder has a preferred list of candidates, all of which are either bad choices or completely unattainable. Washington should do whatever it takes to try and bring Harbaugh back into the NFL, but it's up to Harbaugh himself to see if the price is truly worth the organization-wide dysfunction.

3. New York Jets

The Adam Gase hiring for the New York Jets has been absolutely disastrous. The supposed offensive guru has yet to live up to that reputation, only providing flashbacks to his failed tenure with the Miami Dolphins. With quarterback Sam Darnold needing the right coach to help him progress in the NFL, let's not forget the work Harbaugh did with Andrew Luck at Stanford and Colin Kaepernick with the San Francisco 49ers. Jim Harbaugh could be the right fit for the Jets and Darnold.

2. Atlanta Falcons

The Dan Quinn era in Atlanta appears to be nearing its end, despite owner Arthur Blank expressing his faith in the head coach. But former NFL wide receiver Steve Smith said it best: the Falcons are the "get right team" in the league. In other words, they play the role of a proverbial doormat. With the likes of Julio Jones, Matt Ryan, and Devonta Freeman on the roster, Jim Harbaugh can help take them to new heights.

1. Miami Dolphins

Yes, the Miami Dolphins declared that Brian Flores would return for the 2020 season in order to see through the franchise's rebuild. But what if Jim Harbaugh hits the open market? Those plans can obviously change. Look at what the Los Angeles Angels did with Brad Ausmus. They sent him his walking papers after one season, following Joe Maddon's exit from the Chicago Cubs. This could be a lucrative job for Harbaugh, considering he'd be able to select the quarterback of his choosing, and hold five first-round picks in the next two years. It's highly unlikely, but crazier things have happened.