NFL coaching layoffs continued Tuesday as the New Orleans Saints cut their offensive staff, including longtime offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael.
Saints head coach Dennis Allen’s job appears to be safe after the team failed to make the playoffs in his first two seasons in the role.
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is also staying on through the 2024 season, despite speculation of retirement. While Tomlin never had a losing season, the Steelers went seven seasons without a playoff win.
Then there are two interesting candidates who may or may not end up in the NFL next season: Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and Bill Belichick.
Harbaugh interviewed with the Los Angeles Chargers a week after winning college football’s top honor, but he still hasn’t committed to the NFL. Harbaugh then interviewed with the Atlanta Falcons on Tuesday; the team announced.
We have interviewed Michigan Head Coach Jim Harbaugh for our head coach opening
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) January 17, 2024
Harbaugh hasn’t coached in the NFL since 2014, when he and the San Francisco 49ers parted ways after an 8-8 season. Harbaugh is a top candidate, so he has seven open NFL head coaching jobs to choose from in addition to his home in the NCAA.
The Atlanta Falcons announced Monday that they have interviewed Belichick for their open position. Head coach Arthur Smith was fired after the team’s season ended earlier this month.
James Joseph Harbaugh (born December 23, 1963) is an American football coach and former quarterback, the 20th and current head coach of the Michigan Wolverines. He played college football at Michigan from 1983 to 1986.
He was the head coach of the San Diego Tororos (2004–2006), the Stanford Cardinal (2007–2010) and the San Francisco 49ers (2011–2014).
In 2015, Harbaugh returned to his alma mater. Mater, the University of Michigan, where he won the 2024 National Football Playoff Championship.
His father, Jack Harbaugh, was a football coach, and the family lived in Ohio, Kentucky, Iowa, Michigan, and California.
After graduating from high school in Palo Alto in 1982, Harbaugh returned to Ann Arbor and attended the University of Michigan, where he played quarterback for the Wolverines for three years.
In 1986, as a five-year-old, he led Michigan to the 1987 Rose Bowl and was a Heisman Trophy finalist, finishing third.
In 1995, he led the Colts to the AFC Championship in Indianapolis, was selected to the Pro Bowl and was named the NFL Player of the Year.
From 1994 to 2001, while still in the NFL, Harbaugh served as a freelance assistant coach at Western Kentucky University, where his father, Jack, was the head coach.
In 2004, Harbaugh returned to college football and became the head coach at the University of San Diego.
After leading San Diego to the Pioneer Conference championships in 2005 and 2006, he transferred to Stanford in 2007, where he led the Cardinals to two consecutive championships including an Orange Bowl victory in 2011.
Soon after, Harbaugh signed a five-year head coaching contract with the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers. He led the team in scoring in his first three seasons after the team missed the playoffs in eight consecutive seasons.
Made it to the NFC Championship. He and his brother, Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh, are the first brothers in NFL history to serve as head coaches.
Their team played in the 2011 Thanksgiving Classic and Super Bowl XLVII at the end of the 2012 season.
Harbaugh led the team to the College Football Playoff in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, eventually winning the national championship of the College Football Playoff 2024.
Atlanta Falcons interviews coaches to head six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick. Opening on Monday.
Belichick, 71, ranks second in NFL history with 333 head coaching victories (season and playoffs). They won Super Bowl titles in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2014, 2016, and 2018.
Belichick also won two Super Bowls as the defensive coordinator for the New York Giants.
The Falcons also interviewed San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, who served as the Arizona Cardinals’ head coach in 2018 and Carolina’s 2022 coach, coaching 12 games.
Fans reacted as follows:
Feels like y’all are doing 5 minute speed dating with this many candidates. 😂
— TFG87 (@TFG870) January 17, 2024
You don’t want him trust me he’s only good in college
— Josh 〽️ (@UMFanJosh) January 17, 2024
Falcons putting together an all star cast of coaching interviews lmao
— Pats Buzz (@PatsBuzz) January 17, 2024
Quit delaying the inevitable pic.twitter.com/K1n9of0m75
— Brice (@Brice4pf) January 17, 2024
This is the one. If not Ben Johnson or Bobby Slowik, give me Harbaugh.
— Austin (@AustinPlanet) January 17, 2024
Didn’t even know he had other interviews set up. Curious to know what other ones he will be interviewing for.
— Ryan Kuhn (@rkuhn5167) January 17, 2024
Listening to Jim Harbaugh answer the “Tell us a time you overcame a difficult situation and what did you learn from it?” question would be the greatest hour and 45 minutes ever..
— CFB MZ 🌵 (@CFB_Memezone) January 17, 2024
Celebrating your accomplishments this season on Twitter 🙏
— DynexCovers (@DynexCovers) January 17, 2024
So we interview both coaches we lost the superbowl and nfc championship game. What's next are we interviewing John Elway for HC?
— Hal Snipes II (@Hvshal) January 17, 2024
Nah, you don’t want him. Guy is nothing but trouble. Send him back to Ann Arbor.
— P.Doddy (blue check mark)🇺🇸☮️💙💛 (@umphd) January 17, 2024
