NFL Breaking News: Jim Harbaugh To Leave 49ers For Michigan

According to multiple NFL sources, current San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh will be leaving the NFL after the season and taking over as head coach for the University of Michigan.

We first heard the reports from former NFL defensive lineman and current ESPN host, Marcellus Wiley, who announced via Twitter that Harbaugh had already signed his contract with the Wolverines and had been told as much from two different sources.

According to Wiley, several University of Michigan alumni told him that after speaking with his family, Harbaugh had decided to return to his alma mater. Additionally, Wiley was also told early Friday morning by people close to the contract negotiations that the paperwork had already been signed for Harbaugh to take over the Big 10 program and that the deal is worth upwards of $8 million per season.

The announcement more than likely won’t come until after the NFL season, and obviously things could change over the next 10 days or so, but it seems that all indications are the Wolverines will have a new coach to replace the fired Brady Hoke.

Harbaugh’s decision is sure to surprise many people who believed that the coach would remain in the NFL. Harbaug led the Niners to three consecutive NFC Championship games and reportedly the New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins were all rumored to be interested in Harbaugh if he was indeed fired by San Francisco. Harbaugh still has one year remaining on this contract with the 49ers, so general manager Trent Baalke would have to agree release the coach in order for him to take over at Michigan.