Why did the Carolina Panthers reject Jim Harbaugh?

Why did the Carolina Panthers resist the temptation to install Jim Harbaugh as their next head coach despite clear interest from the Michigan man?

Despite a conversation taking place between Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper and Jim Harbaugh regarding his interest in replacing Matt Rhule, the billionaire opted to resist the temptation to take things further. A topic that’s been the subject of great debate among the fanbase over the past few days.

Rumors and projections such as these send Panthers fans into a whirlwind of hypothetical scenarios. While Harbaugh may not be every fan’s first choice, it comes as a shock to see Tepper not go after a big fish based on his previous bold decisions as owner.

In 2006, one year prior to Harbaugh’s arrival, Stanford posted a 1-11 record. By the end of 2010, the Cardinals went 12-1 and finished ranked No. 4 in the BCS College Football rankings.

Maybe this is simplistic. But this indicates that Harbaugh, with the help of Andrew Luck, had turned things around before leaving to become the San Francisco 49ers head coach.

Carolina Panthers turned down Jim Harbaugh’s impressive credentials

The Niners had long been one of the NFL’s storied franchises, but they had fallen into disarray from 2003-2010, prompting then-head coach Mike Singletary to give his famous “can’t win with them, can’t coach with them” tirade.

To Singletary’s probable surprise, Harbaugh could win with them. In fact, San Francisco went 13-3 in his first season at the helm

Under Harbaugh’s leadership, the Niners quickly became a top-tier NFL team and sustained relative success throughout his tenure. He posted three-straight winning seasons and never finished below .500, competing for three NFC Championships and one Super Bowl.

Harbaugh’s 44-19 record as an NFL head coach is alluring. Especially considering the Panthers’ recent failings under Matt Rhule before his merciful firing after Week 5.

The Panthers long to become a perennial playoff team. This starts by naming the right head coach, but why did Harbaugh not get serious consideration despite a career littered with NFL and college accomplishments?

For all his winning and sustained success, Harbaugh’s teams have consistently come up just short in the biggest of moments. That has been evident in San Francisco and also at Michigan in recent years.

The Niners reached the Super Bowl in Harbaugh’s second season as head coach. However, they came up five yards shy of scoring the go-ahead touchdown in the closing minute.

Overall, Harbaugh went 5-3 in the playoffs, but 1-2 in NFC Championship games and 0-1 in Super Bowl appearances.

Harbaugh’s college teams have fared even worse in postseason play, going 2-7 in bowl games, including six straight defeats and two straight in the college football playoffs.

Teams coached by Harbaugh have been part of the championship conversation. But they have yet to hoist a championship themselves.

Something else that reportedly put Tepper off from taking the plunge is Harbaugh’s interview process with the Minnesota Vikings in 2022. For a long time, his appointment looked like a done deal before things turned sour quickly, which stemmed from the coach’s indifferent and rumored bizarre behavior throughout the process.

So, while Harbaugh’s track record might have been tempting for the Panthers, stability and a long-term plan is arguably more important. Something that’s been sorely lacking across the franchise under Tepper’s leadership.