Harbaugh To Colts? NFL Talk For Harbaugh Has Already Begun

ANN ARBOR -- One national sports talk show host has a "brilliant theory" for who will replace Chuck Pagano as the next Indianapolis Colts head coach and Michigan fans won't like it.

After the Colts took a beating from the Rams on Sunday -- 46-9 to be exact -- Jason Whitlock of Fox Sports pronounced Jim Harbaugh as the next head coach in Indianapolis when Pagano gets the boot. He made this statement during his show, Speak For Yourself, co-hosted by Colin Cowherd

"I have a brilliant theory of who will replace him," said Whitlock -- who is assuming the Colts will fire Pagano at some point during the season. "Listen, they got Andrew Luck, who would be the perfect coach for Andrew Luck? Jim Harbaugh. I think he's going to wear out his welcome at Michigan, like he does every place else. I think he'll have the ultimate leverage to get paid $10-12 million by the Colts, and they will turn the entire franchise over to Jim Harbaugh, which he has always been looking for -- complete control of a franchise.

"The Colts and Jim Harbaugh make perfect sense. You've invested, you have this great young quarterback in Andrew Luck. I wouldn't play him at all this year. I wouldn't put him out there with that garbage they got out there and get this kid hurt. I wouldn't play him at all and I'd go with Jim Harbaugh next year."

Cowherd responded to Whitlock's theory stating it's not crazy and that he believes the Colts will offer him the job, but that Harbaugh would stay in Ann Arbor.

"I think Jim really loves Michigan, and if he does go back -- and I'm not sure he would -- I don't think he'd do it this quickly," Cowherd said in response.

The show's debate on Harbaugh also featured former NFL defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, who sided with Cowherd.

"That would be an unbelievable hire if they got him in Indianapolis, unbelievable," said Ryan, who sported a bright blue blazer during the segment. "But I don't think he's going to come back (to the NFL). You say he gets full control, but I don't think (Colts owner Jim) Irsay would give full control to anybody."

The entire 5-plus minute segment can be seen below.

Now this should come as no surprise to Michigan fans that Harbaugh's name is being tossed out as a coaching candidate in the NFL. He obviously experienced plenty of success at the professional level with the San Francisco 49ers, and he's still a name that comes up every time there's a head coach opening in the NFL. Plus, the opportunity of reuniting with Luck -- his former quarterback at Stanford -- could also be very enticing to Harbaugh.

But after all of the hype and gimmicks, would he actually leave Michigan after just three seasons? That's something that is up for debate.

We are only one week into the NFL season and two weeks into the college football slate, so there's no reason for fans to get all fired up right now. But it certainly isn't nice hearing your coach listed as a possible candidate for another job -- even if it's possibly just a hot take.

In:
• NFL
• Jim Harbaugh
• Indianapolis Colts