Shortly after Michigan was eliminated from the College Football Playoff, multiple reports indicated that Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh–one of the most sought-after candidates in the football coaching business–spoke with Panthers owner David Tepper about the team’s head coaching position.
However, it appears that the phone conversation wasn’t initiated by Tepper or the Panthers.
According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, it was Harbaugh–or at least his representation–that had been calling Tepper regularly in recent weeks. Tepper eventually agreed to have a conversation with Harbaugh, but the chat was never considered to be a formal interview for Carolina’s coaching job, which Will Kunkel of Charlotte Sports Live confirmed in his original report about the call.