According to LSU insider Matt Moscona, amid the usual rumors that Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh may be leaving Ann Arbor for an NFL coaching job, LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly has emerged as a probable favorite to replace Harbaugh.
Moscona expressed his belief in the rumor in an article published by AthlonSports.
“If Jim Harbaugh goes back to the NFL and Michigan is open. If Michigan pursues Brian Kelly, he would leave LSU for Michigan. I am confident in saying that,” Moscona said.
Texas A&M insider Billy Liucci outlined a similar sentiment in November. Liucci, who broke the news of the firing of Jimbo Fisher, discussed Kelly’s future on “Pregaming the SEC” with Jacob Hester and Chris Doering.
“There’s a couple people in coaching that told me, ‘Hey, watch out for Brian Kelly. He’s not a perfect fit there in Baton Rouge. He might be pursuing that Michigan job if it comes open,’” Liucci told the show.
Despite all these rumors, Kelly expressed the idea of LSU being his last coaching job after a win in the final game of the regular season. In an article from SaturdayTradition, Kelly explained why he wanted to stay at LSU.
“I want to be at LSU. I love it here. I’m not going anywhere,” Kelly said in the Nov. 25 postgame press conference. “This is my last stop on the Coach Kelly caravan. You always go, ‘Well, you know he’s just saying that to get the right soundbite.’ But I don’t have to say anything that puts me in a corner, but this is it. This is where I want to be, this is where I want to coach.”
Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh is at an impasse in contract negotiations due to a clause that wouldn’t allow him to get an NFL job
For the last three years as the head coach of Michigan, there have been substantial rumors of a potential departure for the NFL. Harbaugh stayed put following those rumors, but the rumors are churning once again.
In light of this, Michigan is attempting to prevent this from happening by putting a clause in his new contract that would not allow him to shop around or take an NFL coaching job while at Michigan.
He was offered a contract that would pay $125 million over 10 years with the aforementioned caveat, according to Ian Rapaport. It is reportedly this clause that is preventing Harbaugh from re-signing.
Despite these reports, Harbaugh hinted at a return during the team’s end-of-season awards ceremony. It was reported by a local news anchor that he addressed the team in a manner that would imply his return for the 2024 season.
