Former Browns’ exec says team once tried to trade for Jim Harbaugh

One of the hottest names in the world of coaching football right now is Jim Harbaugh. Fresh off a National Championship with Michigan, many folks believe he will make a jump back to the NFL. What many don’t know is that Harbaugh was nearly the coach of the Cleveland Browns and would have been playing […]

Brandon Little — Ohio State Buckeyes & Cleveland Browns News Writer

Jan 10, 2024 10:05 AM EST

One of the hottest names in the world of coaching football right now is Jim Harbaugh. Fresh off a National Championship with Michigan, many folks believe he will make a jump back to the NFL.

What many don’t know is that Harbaugh was nearly the coach of the Cleveland Browns and would have been playing his brother, Jim, twice a year.

Not many remember that in 2014 with the Browns we agreed to a trade with the 49ers to acquire Jim Harbaugh. Unfortunately from our perspective Jim blocked the trade and look what has happened to both sides since then. Changed the next decade for both sides.
— Joe Banner (@JoeBanner13) January 9, 2024

Harbaugh was the coach with the San Francisco 49ers from 2011-2014. Joe Banner, a former CEO of the Browns from 2012-2013, shared on X that the Browns tried to make the deal and agreed to it. The only thing that stopped the move was Harbaugh himself.

The season after Harbaugh left the 49ers, he went to Michigan where he’s been since. Numerous times over his nine seasons at Michigan, there was belief that he would jump back to the NFL. Now that Michigan has won the national title, it may be the perfect time for him to do just that.

Cleveland has made some bad moves at coaching hires in the past, but it looks like they at least tried to get a good one before the success we’ve seen from Kevin Stefanski. Harbaugh has a proven track record in both the NFL and college.

Stefanski and Cleveland are working out just fine and he’s on the cusp of winning his second Coach of the Year, but what if?