ANN ARBOR, Mich. — On the frigid Saturday evening when Michigan football staged a celebration for its first national championship in 26 years, quarterback J.J. McCarthy and head coach Jim Harbaugh both addressed the expectant crowd that stuffed Crisler Center, the school’s on-campus basketball arena, to the brim. 
McCarthy, who had recently capped his junior season by cementing his place in program lore, could have ignited a roar by telling the Wolverine faithful he’d be returning for another year. And Harbaugh, who had succeeded in restoring his alma mater to the pinnacle of college football, could have committed himself to Michigan for 2024 and beyond by eschewing the NFL rumors once and for all. The rafters would have quaked.
That neither one seized what felt like an obvious moment all but foretold the days and weeks to come. First, McCarthy declared for the NFL Draft the following afternoon. Then Harbaugh decided to interview with the Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles Chargers, marking a third consecutive offseason in which he’s entertained interest from the pros. Fans braced themselves for the increasing likelihood of wholesale changes.
The biggest domino finally toppled on Wednesday evening when Harbaugh reached a deal with the Chargers, catapulting himself back to the NFL for the first time since he and the San Francisco 49ers parted ways in 2014. That version of Harbaugh still ranks fifth in league history with a .695 winning percentage across four seasons and 64 games. He reached three consecutive NFC Championship Games from 2011-13 and lost Super Bowl XLVII to the Baltimore Ravens, a team coached by his brother John Harbaugh.
When paired with the three-year revival Harbaugh oversaw in Ann Arbor, where the Wolverines won three consecutive Big Ten Championships, reached the College Football Playoff three consecutive times and upended Washington to win the national title earlier this month, it was easy to see why multiple NFL franchises inquired about his services.
