Trio of Big 12 Coaches Listed as Potential Candidates for Michigan Job
Jim Harbaugh has now interviewed with the Los Angeles Chargers and the Atlanta Falcons, meaning that the chance of him leaving Michigan to take a job in the NFL might be as good as they’ve ever been.
That prospect has led to preemptive lists for candidates who could replace Harbaugh as the Wolverines’ head coach, should decide to make the jump back into the league.
Earlier this week, The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman published an article that listed a pair of Big 12 coaches as potential candidates to take the UM job, saying that both Lance Leipold and Chris Klieman would be great fits in Ann Arbor.
Iowa State’s Matt Campbell has also been listed as a candidate to succeed Harbaugh at Michigan after taking a bad football program in Ames and turning it into a perennial bowl contender. Back in November, Campbell was given the fourth-best odds to be Harbaugh’s replacement if he were to leave.
Now, the printing press is rolling once again as Harbaugh’s chances of leaving continue to rise, with all three coaches making Dennis Dodd’s “top options” for the Wolverines.
While names like Sherrone Moore (Michigan OC) and Brian Kelly (LSU Head Coach) are higher on Dodd’s list, Lance Leipold continues to be mentioned as a potential suitor.
“Leipold couldn’t be any hotter heading into his fourth season with the Jayhawks,” Dodd writes. “His name has come up for just about every major job that has opened over the last couple of seasons. Sources told CBS Sports that Leipold interviewed at Washington. A lot would need to happen for the job to fall to Leipold, but the program would be in great hands with a coach who will have Kansas in the running for a CFP spot in the 12-team playoff coming out of the Big 12.”
Matt Campbell supplants Chris Klieman on this list, in contrast to Feldman’s piece, but Klieman does show up in “other names to consider.” Despite the Cyclones’ down year in 2022, Campbell’s name still resonates when coaching searches fire up.
“Campbell’s star has dimmed — 18-20 in the last three seasons with the Cyclones — but he was in the mix at Washington indicating his enduring desirability,” Dodd says. “His accomplishments with the Cyclones and nearby Toledo still resonate. Without the quirkiness, Campbell would resemble a younger Harbaugh.”
Of course, these lists are nothing more than conjecture until Harbaugh actually decides to leave. While it has nominal value now, a move that leaves the winningest football program in college football with a coaching vacancy would make this list something that every college football fan would need to be familiar with.
So, a note to fans of Kansas, Kansas State, and Iowa State: file this away and forget about it for now, but do make sure that you file it away.
