Published Feb 2, 2022
Jim Harbaugh returning to Michigan in 2022
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Brandon Justice  •  Maize&BlueReview
Senior Editor
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@BrandonJustice_

Finally, the ongoing Jim Harbaugh drama has come to a close.

Despite reports of his exit being cemented, the seventh-year head coach will return to Michigan in 2022. ESPN's Adam Schefter first reported the news.

On Wednesday, Harbaugh flew out to Minnesota for an interview. Before the meeting, reports surfaced that a deal was in place, however, after the meeting, Harbaugh called athletic director Warde Manuel to inform him of his return.

Approaching his eighth year in Ann Arbor, Harbaugh is fresh off the best season of his tenure, including 12 wins, a conference championship, and a win over Ohio State.

In a wild month of twists and turns, Harbaugh denied NFL aspirations to recruits, admitted he had NFL interest to Will Johnson, interviewed for a job with the Vikings, then ultimately decided to stay following all of it.

It was nothing short of an atypical Jim Harbaugh timeline: Constant mystery, in-and-out radio silence from inner circles, multiple reports that proved never to be true, and an 'ole reliable twist ending.

The aftermath of a situation of this magnitude is hard to predict, however, it should impact Michigan's personnel and recruiting in a positive manner because, according to Schefter's report, Harbaugh informed Manuel this won't be a re-occurring theme. Harbaugh will stay at Michigan as long as he is wanted.

This offseason was chaotic in college football with numerous big-name coaching changes, including Brian Kelly to LSU and Lincoln Riley to USC. Harbaugh was viewed as the next in line to depart for a new gig.

TMBR reported throughout the month that all signs pointed towards Harbaugh's inevitable return despite all of the outside noise. As the interview neared, it was written off as a foregone conclusion that the 61-24 head coach would be the next Vikings head coach.

Family, his alma mater, and an uberly talented staff kept Harbaugh home, where he will stay for as long as he's wanted.

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