Once again, the Raiders are searching for a new head coach. There is an outside chance that the Raiders will remove the interim label from Antonio Pierce and give him the job, but the odds of them doing that feel pretty low.
Instead, look for Mark Davis to go big-game hunting for the best candidate available. And that might just be Jim Harbaugh at Michigan.
In a recent article by ESPN and their NFL insiders, they discussed the possibility of Harbaugh leaving Michigan and going to the NFL this year:
Jim Harbaugh’s name has percolated in league circles, with many believing this might be the year he takes the plunge back in the NFL. The sign-stealing suspension at Michigan looms large, and winning a national title with the Wolverines would make leaving the program almost poetic.
He very well might want personnel power to accompany coaching duties, but he’d have a clear advantage in talking with teams that, per NFL rules, must wait until after the divisional round of the playoffs to interview candidates currently employed by NFL teams. Harbaugh isn’t beholden by those rules and is free to talk now.
Would Harbaugh consider the Raiders? It might depend on what type of control he would get over the roster, but he is certainly one of the top candidates available in this cycle. He’s also had a ton of success in the NFL, leading the 49ers to the Super Bowl in his last stop.
Harbaugh might not be the favorite to get the job in Las Vegas, but expect the Raiders to do plenty of background work on him before they make their final decision.