As evidenced by their recent interview, the Atlanta Falcons are seriously considering Jim Harbaugh as their next coach.
Despite most of the buzz centering around Bill Belichick for the Atlanta Falcons, they announced that they have also interviewed current Michigan Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh as they continue their search to replace Arthur Smith.
Jim Harbaugh is the brother of Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh, but his background speaks for itself. He only played in the NFL once, with the San Francisco 49ers, and that relationship ended with a “mutual parting of ways,” but regardless, he is undoubtedly successful.
Even though it didn’t involve winning titles, Harbaugh’s alma school, Stanford, was his first significant head coach position in the collegiate ranks. He went on to succeed at Michigan.
We are here to play devil’s advocate because our friend John Macon Gillespie made the case on Wednesday for Harbaugh’s hiring by the Falcons.
For any coach hired by the Falcons, the most important issue to resolve will be at quarterback. The Falcons have a strong roster with an offense that has the means to thrive according to general manager Terry Fontenot’s methodical rebuilding approach. They are still without their franchise signal-caller.
Since Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick were the main reasons for Harbaugh’s success in San Francisco, their success together cannot be undervalued. Some could argue that he was fortunate to enter the scenario with Smith as a veteran before adding Kaepernick through the NFL Draft.
Is Harbaugh able to repeat his success in Atlanta?
Schematics are the next possible “con” with Harbaugh. What does an Atlanta Harbaugh offense look like? Given what we know about Michigan’s offense and Atlanta’s personnel, it would seem reasonable to presume that the scheme would be run first.
That might, however, vary based on Harbaugh’s choice for the offensive coordinator position. Some of the top coaches in the NFL today, such as Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams and Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers, are play-callers.
