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Jim Harbaugh Left San Francisco 49ers at Right Time

By Phil Naegely

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The San Francisco 49ers are off to a 1-4 start after winning their season opener. It’s been a season with more questions than answers Colin Kaepernick has struggled early on to lead the 49ers like he did to a Super Bowl in 2013. The quarterback has thrown for less than 200 yards per game and it’s really limited the team’s success. While many are wondering when Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly will head back to the college game, Jim Harbaugh’s move back to the college level has already paid off.

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The Michigan Wolverines are currently 5-1 and face a tough task against an undefeated Michigan State team. It’s Harbaugh’s biggest game as the head coach of Michigan so far, and he has shown his team’s potential especially after their early season loss. His leadership and coaching style, while very loud and boisterous at times, seems to be working. He’s brought hope back into a football program that finished 5-7 last season and wasn’t invited to a bowl game for only the third time since 1973. Likewise, Harbaugh understand the Michigan way and the football program as he played there as a quarterback in the 1980’s.

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At a time where Michigan football is on the rise, the 49ers are on a very fast decline. Since losing to the Ravens at Super Bowl XLVII 34-31, the 49ers finished with an 8-8 record in 2014. This season looked good initially with a Week 1 win over the Vikings, but four straight loses have started to derail their 2015 season.

They currently sit in last-place of the NFC West. If it wasn’t for the Seattle Seahawks blowing leads late, then there chances of finishing second in the division and have any chance of a wild card spot. Their game against the Baltimore Ravens will most likely break or be a game they can turn their season around from.

For any coach, it is a once in a lifetime chance to coach at their alma mater. It was an obvious option for Harbaugh to leave the NFL and head back to the college level. He’s shown he can turn around a struggling team again. During his time in San Francisco, Harbaugh finished with a winning record in three of the four seasons. He was hired in 2011 after the 49ers finished 6-10 a season prior.

So far his move from the West Coast to Michigan has paid dividends. This Michigan team is playing some of their best football in a long time and it would appear their bowl game drought will only be for one season. Yes, the Wolverines are entering crunch time in Big 10 action, but there should be know doubt that Harbaugh can get the job done with the team he currently has. Depending on how it plays out, Harbaugh and company could be participating in the second edition of the College Football Playoff.

For many coaches and programs, it takes a year or two to get back on their feet after a tough season. However, Harbaugh has shown with both the 49ers and Michigan that he can make an instant impact wherever he is coaching. 49ers fans are probably wishing Harbaugh was still in town, but the head coach left at the right time as even he probably couldn’t have fixed a struggling 49ers team that may need to trade away many of their assets for draft picks before the deadline.

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