From NFL.com

Broncos owner and CEO Greg Penner flew to Ann Arbor, Mich., this week to meet in person with Jim Harbaugh about the team's head coaching job, according to sources informed of their situation.

Harbaugh announced earlier this month he was staying at the University of Michigan after interviewing virtually with the Broncos on Jan. 9. But sources say conversations continued in the weeks that followed between Harbaugh and both Broncos general manager George Paton and Penner, who knows Harbaugh through Stanford connections and had the former 49ers coach high on his list.

A source close to Penner said no offer was made during this week's visit and that he wanted to visit Harbaugh in part because it was the only candidate he hadn't interviewed in person. But Harbaugh has remained willing to listen and has told people if he were to return to the NFL, the Broncos' job is one he'd want. Though Harbaugh has not yet gone back on his stated plans to stay at his alma mater, the door remains open.

https://www.nfl.com/news/broncos-had-sec...aching-job

I have no doubt that Greg Penner made his best pitch, and Harbaugh knew that was the purpose of the meeting. But also legitimate to say that Harbaugh had already made up his mind prior to that meeting.

(01-29-2023 06:44 AM)Native Georgian Wrote:  I have no doubt that Greg Penner made his best pitch, and Harbaugh knew that was the purpose of the meeting. But also legitimate to say that Harbaugh had already made up his mind prior to that meeting.

This tells me that the door is wide open for a NFL Return. The job that both him and Sean Payton has to be eyeing is the Los Angeles Chargers to Coach all that talent and have a Franchise QB in Justin Herbert

All big time coaches lie - and any coach that can be in the NFL instead of college will take that opportunity. Harbaugh didn't get an NFL job so he stays at Michigan. Only 32 jobs so not a surprise.

(01-29-2023 07:02 AM)Maize Wrote:  

(01-29-2023 06:44 AM)Native Georgian Wrote:  I have no doubt that Greg Penner made his best pitch, and Harbaugh knew that was the purpose of the meeting. But also legitimate to say that Harbaugh had already made up his mind prior to that meeting.

This tells me that the door is wide open for a NFL Return. The job that both him and Sean Payton has to be eyeing is the Los Angeles Chargers to Coach all that talent and have a Franchise QB in Justin Herbert

Penner and his wife both got their graduate degrees from Stanford. Elway played at Stanford and Condi Rice, who is part of the ownership group, was a Stanford provost in the 90's and still teaches there. There is a strong Stanford connection there. They interviewed David Shaw recently and they are apparently obsessed with Harbaugh, the former Stanford head coach.

The Chargers are a family run operation, and I don't think they would want to give either Sean Payton or Jim Harbaugh the kind of power they would want to coach the Chargers. But they would both be good for Herbert, especially Payton.

If a billionaire NFL owner wanted to fly to San Antonio to meet with me about the Broncos job, I'd have the courtesy to sit down with him and talk, regardless of my intentions to remain as a professional Internet Sports Analyst. I think this says more about the level of respect that Harbaugh has in NFL circles than it says about his intentions to remain at Michigan. And who knows what happens down the road? Maybe he's perfectly happy at Michigan, but in 5 years he's less happy, or maybe the Broncos hire someone else now but then flounder, and Penner remembers how impressed he was with Harbaugh and offers him $20m a year for 8 years to be HC with full control of personnel matters. Heck, maybe Penner was unimpressed with all of their other candidates and figured he'd just try the Godfather offer now instead of waiting 5 years.