Almost two years ago, the Minnesota Vikings were so close to hiring Jim Harbaugh that he had already made his round of goodbyes at Michigan.
Something happened during Harbaugh’s interview, which spanned over 12 hours, that left the Vikings’ power brokers skittish, ultimately deciding to hire Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell instead.
Since he took over as Vikings head coach, O’Connell has led the team to a 20-14 record with one week remaining in the 2023 regular season.
But after failing to maximize his backup quarterbacks in the wake of Kirk Cousins‘ season-ending Achilles injury on October 29, O’Connell’s legitimacy as a quarterback whisperer and offensive guru has taken a hit. Minnesota is virtually out of the playoff picture with a 2.5% chance of making the postseason, per ESPN’s Power Index,
And that has rekindled pitches for the Vikings to make it right with Harbaugh, who has received a 10-year, $125 million deal to stay at Michigan but recently hired one of the NFL’s top agents to represent him ahead of the offseason.
The Viking Age’s Adam Patrick proposed the Vikings should pursue Harbaugh again as the veteran head coach is one game away from leading the undefeated and No. 1-ranked Wolverines (14-0) to a national championship.
From Patrick:
If the goal for the Vikings is to win a Super Bowl within the next few years, then making another attempt to hire Harbaugh as their head coach might be something for them to consider.
Harbaugh has already had success in the past as an NFL head coach when he was with the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2014, and what he’s helped Michigan accomplish in the last two years cannot be ignored.
O’Connell might be able to eventually lead Minnesota to a Super Bowl win during his tenure with the franchise, but Harbaugh might be the guy who can help the franchise get that championship victory much sooner.
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