Jim Harbaugh Wants To Stay With San Francisco 49ers, Team Reportedly Won’t Stop Him From Leaving

Dec 8, 2013; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh stands on the field before the start of the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Candlestick Park. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh addressed rumors Thursday that he is on the wish list of the University of Texas as it searches for a successor to Mack Brown and reports that there is friction between him and general manager Trent Baalke.

Harbaugh said he “absolutely” wants to remain in San Francisco for the long haul. (h/t ESPN.com) He’s in the third year of a five-year, $25 million contract and 49ers owner Jed York has said that he wants to get an extension done for the coach in the offseason.

Harbaugh downplayed the reported friction between he and Baalke, pointing specifically to the fact the report cited unnamed sources.

"“In Judge Judy’s court, hearsay is not admissible evidence,” Harbaugh said. “I think we can all agree that an unnamed source is hearsay. … In the court of public opinion, why would you give any of that credibility?”"

Nice soundbite, but that aside, a report on Pro Football Talk Friday morning cited … ahem … an unnamed source that said the 49ers wouldn’t stop Harbaugh from taking the Texas job.

Harbaugh has always struck me as an NFL guy, in the same way his father Jack was a college guy. Harbaugh has been wildly successful in his first three years on the job, with a record of 34-11-1 over his first two full seasons plus this year, and he’s on the verge of becoming the first 49ers coach since George Seifert to lead the team to the playoffs three straight seasons (Seifert had a string of five straight playoff berths to close his 49ers coaching career from 1992-96).

He’s also had three straight winning seasons after a nine-year stretch where the 49ers didn’t have a single one under Dennis Erickson, Mike Nolan and Mike Singletary. (So, yeah, in retrospect maybe the whole “fire Steve Mariucci after he went 10-6” thing wasn’t such a great plan.)

I don’t think he’s going anywhere. After all, does any coach in the league have it better than him?

We’ll find out.