The Raiders are less than 48 hours from potentially punching their first ticket to the playoffs in five years, but the talk around the team on Friday was mostly about Jim Harbaugh.
As much as interim head coach Rich Bisaccia might deserve to keep the head coaching gig in Las Vegas (especially if the Raiders make the playoffs), there is a lot of speculation right now that Harbaugh has the inside track on the job.
Raiders’ owner Mark Davis has pushed the message that his coaching search wouldn’t begin until the end of the season, but we’ve learned enough about how he operates to know that there is a good chance he has a lot more figured out than he is letting on. Remember, Jon Gruden once called a Raiders’ game for ESPN with an agreement in place that he was going to be the next head coach of the Raiders – and it wasn’t even the last game of the season.
As for Harbaugh, he apparently hates the administration at the University of Michigan and has told recruits that he may be leaving for the NFL.
Michigan forced Harbaugh to take a pay cut a year ago, so he probably wouldn’t mind sticking it to the university right about now. Harbaugh has strong ties to the Davis family and the Raiders are considered by most to be the best head-coaching job potentially available.
Now for the rumor mill…
Below is a Harbaugh tweet (even though it doesn’t say so explicitly) and even though league insiders aren’t saying it publicly, many believe that unless something unexpected happens (like the Raiders making a deep playoff run), the Raiders’ job is there for Harbaugh if he wants it.
Message boards aren’t always a great place to find facts, but good information can occasionally find their way into web forums.
Do with this one what you will…
If he does go to the NFL, a defensive coordinator that would make sense to join Harbaugh is Vic Fangio – assuming the Broncos fire him after the season.
Fangio is one of the most respected defensive coordinators in the league and has enjoyed success with Harbaugh in the past.
If Harbaugh doesn’t return to the NFL, he should be in line for a huge pay raise from the University of Michigan.
It’s possible that he is just using his leverage to get more money from Michigan, but it feels like Harbaugh’s interest in returning to the NFL is real this time around. Some reports have even suggested that Harbaugh was considering a return to the NFL last year.
But for what it’s worth, one NFL insider that seems to think that Harbaugh will be back at Michigan next year is NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Answers on Harbaugh will come soon enough, but for now the Raiders are knocking on the door to the playoffs and seem to be figuring things out at just the right time.
Maybe Davis will choose to move on from the current coaching staff at the end of the season, but the last three weeks have at least given him something to think about.
If Davis does move on from Bisaccia after the season, it seems like the decision would be surprisingly well received by the fan base… although it will be interesting to see the same poll results if the Raiders beat the Chargers on Sunday night.
twitter: @raidersbeat
Yo
Harbaugh is going to the bears. Calling it now
I wish the rumors about Jim Harbaugh would just stop! They have a huge game to play to get into the playoffs & all the writers can do is start rumors about Harbaugh! Don’t they have anything else to write about to attract readers? With all that’s at stake in this game vs the Chargers, it doesn’t say much about the credibility or talent of the reporters.
By the way how many Super Bowels did Harbaugh win? How many National Championships did he win?
How long did it take his team to finally beat Ohio State?
Just saying! Let’s finally try & keep some continuity. If they win, keep Bisaccia!
Harbaugh to the Raiders (or any NFL team) would be a disaster. How do you think his cornball antics with wearing cleats and catching passes pregame with receiver glovers would play with grown-*** men? His ego is bigger than Gruden’s, if that’s possible. That and his rah-rah Harry Highschool bullshit would wear thin quickly with players in the NFL just like it did with SF. No one would want to play for this clown. From a 40+ year Raider diehard fan. Pray MD doesn’t blow this and set us back again.
It’s probably best to take on issues one at a time. The issue before the Raiders is, they must beat the Chargers on Sunday Night. Then and only then does the next thing matter. I have learned that it’s best to remain silent until it’s time make the decision. The Raiders win and they are in the playoffs. There won’t be any coaching change then. So why do all the speculating and making accusations. If the Raiders lose to the Chargers then decisions about the future and the coach, general manager, etc.., would be in order. Right now all the talk and speculation is only a distraction. I want the Raiders to beat the Chargers and prove everyone wrong.
Dream Scenario
Yes on Jim H to the Raiders
We need a coach with fire
Harbaugh would give us what we need.
Would shake up the west with his addition.
Why in the world would we not give Bissacia a shot?? He’s done a great job.
Who could have this MESS dropped in their laps and do the job he has? He has us on the cusp of the playoffs!! He’ll cost alot less than Harbaugh. That’s for sure! Harbaugh was the guy Al wanted! I’m sure Mark knows that.
Give him a shot! He deserves it. If he fails send him packing.
Hell no if Harbaugh can’t beat Ohio State until this year and has a hard time with Michigan State. I as a lifetime Raider fan would hate to have that idiot be a Raider headcoach. Mark take some time and think about your decision. There has to be better coaches out there. Again stop and think about it.
Every Raider Fan do not give **** about this stupid article when the season is not over yet. I didn’t even read this article that I see the title and you writer of this article do not have any business in this field! Every Raider fan are getting sick you of you idiots wasting time and making money off bullshit! If you want to write something talk about existing staff and blast them when they set Raiders up to fail! If the Raiders would have won all them games, they should have they would have the best record in the AFC without any question right now. Think about that! Olsen lost 4 games this year since Gruden left with his pathetic play calling. No Raider fan wants another coach like Harbaugh that call conservative plays and any coach that is conservative has no business calling any plays during any football game. No Raider fan wants any coach from the 49er’s family tree!
No, no a thousand times NO.
I dont believe Bisaccia deserves to move from interim to head coach. There are way too many things that go against his becoming head coach. He had opportunities and even if they somehow get into playoffs unless they show some success in playoffs he should be gone.
Yessssss! Get pep Hamilton as offensive coordinator. Don’t get it twisted I still want them to win the super bowl and if that means no Harbaugh then so be it. But do people think we can win with Olsen? I don’t see it.
Why write articles about”RUMORS”?
Hire Jim harbaugh the no matter what the outcome of this season is. Just give Rich a nice compensation package after we win the super bowl!