Will he or won’t he?
That is the question on every bettor’s mind when it comes to Jim Harbaugh and the NFL.
The Michigan coach, former Wolverines quarterback and “Michigan man” has now interviewed for a couple of NFL coaching vacancies, causing his next team odds to shift significantly over the last week.
Here’s a look at the updated betting board.
JIM HARBAUGH’S NEXT DESTINATION ODDS: *
University of Michigan: +175 (bet $10 to win $27.50)
Los Angeles Chargers: +225 (bet $10 to win $32.50 total)
Atlanta Falcons: +600 (bet $10 to win $70 total)
Las Vegas Raiders: +700 (bet $10 to win $80 total)
Chicago Bears: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Tennessee Titans: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)
Any other NFL or NCAA team: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)
* odds as of 1/19/24
After meeting with the Chargers, the odds at DraftKings Sportsbook for Harbaugh’s next destination had the Bolts as the favorites at -150 after being at +150 earlier in the week.
But now there’s been a shift in the odds.
At BetMGM, Harbaugh returning to the Michigan sidelines is now at the top of the board at +175. To land Harbaugh, the Chargers are second at +225.
Another wrinkle emerged Tuesday night as the Falcons tweeted they interviewed Harbaugh to replace the fired Arthur Smith.
The Falcons shot up the betting board after the interview, going from +3000 to +500. They now sit third on the odds list at +600.
Harbaugh is just over a couple weeks removed from guiding Michigan to its first national title since 1997, and now, the conversation turns to whether he will return to his alma mater as head coach or if he will once again take his talents to the NFL sidelines.
FOX Sports college football analyst RJ Young is curious to see if Chargers owner Dean Spanos writes a big enough check to land Harbaugh.
“After going 15-0, winning the national championship at Michigan, I don’t think anybody at Michigan would begrudge him the opportunity to coach in the NFL once again,” said Young, host of the “The Number One College Football Show” podcast. “Interviewing with the Chargers I think is interesting for a number of reasons, not the least of which is I would love to see Dean Spanos spend the kind of money that Jim Harbaugh would be looking for to hire a head coach, then I would like to see L.A. Chargers fans go, ‘Yo dog, where has this been the whole time?'”
Harbaugh played for the San Diego Chargers (1999-2000) at the end of his career.
Harbaugh also spent four seasons as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, guiding them to Super Bowl XLVII — where they lost to John Harbaugh’s Baltimore Ravens — and two NFC Championship appearances in his first three seasons. The two sides mutually parted ways after the 2014 season, and Harbaugh then took over at Michigan.
And now that he’s accomplished the ultimate goal in college, speculation is running rampant that Harbaugh will return to the NFL.
On paper, the Chargers job appears to be the most coveted on the market, considering they have a 25-year-old quarterback who was a Pro Bowler in 2021 in Justin Herbert.
Another team to keep an eye on are the Dallas Cowboys, who are the talk of the NFL but for the wrong reasons – “America’s Team” exited the postseason last week after a 48-32 loss to the Green Bay Packers. The loss has immediately fueled speculation about coach Mike McCarthy’s job security.
“It wouldn’t shock me to find out that Jerry Jones tries to interview him [Harbaugh] if something were to happen at Dallas,” Young said. “I believe that, one way or another, Jim Harbaugh is going to get his money, and I think nobody’s gonna begrudge him getting his money.”
Follow along with FOX Sports for the latest news on Jim Harbaugh, the NFL and other sports.
Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more