Forget wide net coaching search, Broncos should hire Jim Harbaugh ASAP

Usually, where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

And there’s a whole lot of smoke around Jim Harbaugh and the Denver Broncos right now. On Sunday morning, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the Walton-Penner Family Ownership Group will be “ultra aggressive” with its coaching search. That means they’re going for a big name, perhaps the biggest on the market. That’s clearly either former Saints head coach Sean Payton or current University of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh.

While the Payton chatter has been out there, the Harbaugh train is gaining a lot of steam. On Sunday night, Pro Football Talk‘s Mike Florio reported the Broncos have reached out to Harbaugh about becoming the team’s next head coach. On Monday afternoon, The Athletic reported if Harbaugh gets an offer from an NFL team, it’s a “done deal” he will leave Ann Arbor.

Broncos CEO Greg Penner, who will be hiring the team’s next head coach, can’t waste time. Harbaugh’s Wolverines lost in the College Football Playoff semifinals over the weekend, and his bags should be packed. Penner should be ready to offer him a five-year contract worth $75 million to come lead Denver’s football team.

Of course, the Rooney Rule is in play here, meaning the Broncos will need to interview at least two external minority candidates for the head-coaching role. The rule is well-intentioned, and the Broncos should take interviews with every person qualified for the job seriously.

Whether that be Jim Caldwell, Leslie Frazier, Eric Bieniemy, Brian Flores or others, there are a lot of minority candidates that possess great football minds. If one of them wows Penner, this whole premise could and should change. That would throw an interesting wrench in Penner’s plans, as would a great internal interview from current defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.

However, time is also of the essence when it comes to Harbaugh. Right now, it feels like only the Broncos and perhaps the Colts and Panthers are competing for his services. That will almost assuredly change in a few days, after the conclusion of Week 18 opens up a handful of other jobs around the league. Denver shouldn’t waste time with Harbaugh, as more suitors could easily emerge.

At a press conference last week, general manager George Paton lamented not casting a “wider net” before the Broncos hired Nathaniel Hackett. Clearly that would have been a good idea in 2022. Penner fired Hackett after a pathetic 15 games that saw the team post a 4-11 record.

But forget that in 2023. The Broncos don’t need to speak to 20 candidates to figure out Harbaugh’s resume is wildly impressive. He’s won everywhere he’s gone, whether that be the University of San Diego, Stanford University, the San Francisco 49ers or most recently, Michigan. He made three NFC Championships with the Niners and one Super Bowl.

And regardless of your opinion on former NFL QB Colin Kaepernick kneeling for the National Anthem, he was a much better player under Harbaugh’s guidance. Kaepernick thrived from 2012-2014 with Harbaugh. His record as a starter after Harbaugh left was just 3-16 combined in 2015 and ’16. The man can coach every position on the field, including quarterback, a position he played in the NFL for 14 seasons.

Imagine what Harbaugh could do for embattled Broncos QB Russell Wilson moving forward? First, he wouldn’t try to be Wilson’s best friend, a tactic that failed Hackett in a big way. And second, Harbaugh would design packages that work for Wilson. It wouldn’t be like with Hackett, where a weird blend of two systems never gained any traction.

Harbaugh is respected around the league and would immediately revive the credibility of the Broncos. Denver was the laughingstock of the NFL on several occasions this year. The national television meltdowns that occurred under Hackett wouldn’t happen with Harbaugh at the helm. He’s too experienced, too prideful and most importantly, too good of a coach.

The Broncos need a football boss in a big way. They have new owners, but no one fans and players can trust to turn around the product on the field. Paton certainly isn’t that answer; Harbaugh would bring much-needed winning experience and leadership.

Penner needs to act quickly and decisively. He needs to conduct multiple interviews this week. And barring a change of plans, he needs to hire Jim Harbaugh ASAP.

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