We finally learned why Jim Harbaugh to the Bears didn’t happen

It seemed like such an obvious move. The Chicago Bears were uncertain about the fate of Matt Eberflus entering the 2024 offseason. They were drafting a new quarterback. It made sense to hire a coach who was able to develop him. It had to be someone with experience who could also lead the team. The one name that stood out was Jim Harbaugh. After years as the Bears quarterback, he carved a path of consistent success in coaching. He most recently won a national championship with Michigan before returning to the NFL. He was no stranger to turning around and fighting former #1 picks, as Alex Smith can attest.

It just made sense. All the bears had to do was call. Except it never happened. Harbaugh went to Los Angeles, where he took over the Chargers, and now he has them in the middle of the AFC playoff chase. People can’t understand why the Bears didn’t even consider it. Well, according to Brad Biggs from Chicago Tribuneit wouldn’t have mattered. He has it on good authority that Harbaugh would have avoided the job even if it was offered because of a long-standing frosty relationship with Kevin Warren.

“I highly doubt Harbaugh would have been interested in working for the Bears after his time at Michigan. It has been widely reported that coaches throughout the Big Ten were not very happy with some of the moves Kevin Warren made when he was conference commissioner. Harbaugh found a landing spot with an established, elite quarterback, and that could be a real draw for coaches who have leeway in choosing their destination.”

Warren angered Jim Harbaugh over the COVID situation.

Due to the pandemic, the former Big Ten commissioner intended to shut down the entire 2020 football season. Coaches and players strongly opposed this because they did not want to be robbed of a precious year of football. It led to an often contentious standoff. Eventually the two sides worked out a deal and a shortened version of the season took place. How Michigan’s season went probably made it worse in Harbaugh’s mind. They finished 2-4, his worst record ever at the college level. It almost got him fired.

Knowing the kind of personality Jim Harbaugh has, he probably attributed the start of the season and lack of time to adequately prepare as reasons for this. No doubt it was traced back to Warren. Hopes of landing Harbaugh were likely dashed when the Bears hired him as team president. So before people blame Ryan Poles for not being more aggressive on that front, let it be known that he never had a shot anyway.