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The San Francisco 49ers seem to have a full-on coaching controversy on their hands, with dozens of conflicting reports surfacing regarding head coach Jim Harbaugh's control of the locker room and where he might end up after the 2014 NFL season.
Chat Sports is here to sift through the noise and bring you the latest (and perhaps strangest) of rumors surrounding the polarizing Harbaugh.
The Product Bigger Than The Problem?
According to Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee, the 49ers' recent success could very well keep the tenuous relationship between Harbaugh and GM Trent Baalke going into the 2015 season (and perhaps beyond):
The conventional thinking as the 49ers head to an end-of-season showdown with Harbaugh over his contract is that two men with such determined, Type-A personalties can’t coexist.
Is that true? Reports of Harbaugh’s bad behavior have come in the past two years when the two sides were in a contract dispute. During such negotiations, people tend to dissemble, exaggerate and stretch the truth in an effort to gain leverage, which makes you wonder if the situation is as rancid as has been portrayed.
Clearly, Baalke and Harbaugh have been very good for each other when it comes to the product on the field. Harbaugh arrived in 2011 to find a roster loaded by the previous general manager, Scot McCloughan, and Baalke. As the 49ers’ first six games have shown, Baalke has kept the team well stocked.
Harbaugh can at least trust Baalke to give him the players he needs - something that isn't a give-in for plenty of teams (both college and NFL) Harbaugh could either be traded to or move on to after his contract expires following the 2015 campaign.
Crossing the Bay?
Per a Pro Football Talk report, "a league source indicates that San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh “would “love” to return to the Raiders, where his non-playing career began in 2002 and 2003 as the team’s quarterbacks coach.”
If the relationship between the 49ers and Harbaugh is truly untenable, the report argues that Harbaugh and his wife's affinity for the Bay Area could play a huge role in any potential trade negotiations.
In fact, Harbaugh's love for the area was a big reason why the reported trade talks between the Browns and 49ers this past offseason didn't come to fruition. According to PFT's Mike Florio, Harbaugh, "(more specifically, his wife) didn’t want to leave the Bay Area, which could put Harbaugh in play for the Raiders job.”
Harbaugh to...the Kansas Jayhawks?!?
Before you raise your eyebrows too far, let's just get to brass tacks.
Travis Haney of ESPN.com reports that “most in the coaching world anticipate him staying in San Francisco, or possibly taking another NFL job. But if he does leave for a college gig, those close to Harbaugh told an ESPN colleague that it would be for Kansas. Yes, Kansas.”
“The last time the KU job was open, Harbaugh strongly considered leaving Stanford for Lawrence,” Haney added. “So some believe that the embattled Niners coach would kick it around."
In order for this to work, Harbaugh would either have to be released outright or wait to pursue the job for the 2016 season. However, as strange it sounds, Harbaugh's ties to Kansas are still something that can't be denied at this point.
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