Raiders rumors: Passing on Jim Harbaugh would be almost impossible

On Sunday, the Antonio Pierce-led Las Vegas Raiders won their fifth game in nine tries with him at the helm of the franchise. Pierce has done a remarkable job since taking over on an interim basis after the firing of Josh McDaniels, and has more than earned the right to be the team's head coach again in 2024.

Pierce had the Raiders playing with incredible passion down the stretch, beating all three of their AFC West rivals after the bye week. There was also an improbable victory on Christmas Day inside Arrowhead Stadium, a statement win for any head coach who leads the Silver and Black.

Going into this offseason, Raiders team owner will have to name a full-time head coach, and many in Raider Nation want it to be Pierce. Even the entire locker room has been putting out there that they believe Pierce should be the head coach moving forward, but will that be enough for Davis to hand Pierce the job?

The other big name that has been out there is Jim Harbaugh, and after watching Michigan win the national title on Monday night, passing on him could prove to be nearly impossible for Davis despite Pierce's efforts.

Raiders may find it impossible to pass on Jim Harbaugh

Harbaugh went back to his alma-mater at Michigan to win a championship, and he accomplished that feat against the Washington Huskies on Monday night. Utilizing a strong rushing attack early on, the Wolverines got out to a lead that they would never relinquish, capping off an undefeated season.

While the win for Michigan was impressive, it is only another in a long list of incredible accomplishments by Harbaugh. He has won everywhere he has been, even at the University of San Diego, where he put together back-to-back 11-win seasons before leaving for Stanford.

At Stanford, Harbaugh put together impressive seasons at the helm, going 4-8 his first season before building the program back up. In his final season with the Cardinal, he led the team to a 12-1 record and an Orange Bowl victory before bolting to the NFL.

His final stop before Michigan was the San Francisco 49ers, a team he led to the Super Bowl against his brother John Harbaugh and the Baltimore Ravens. While the 49ers lost that game by three points, it proved to be the pinnacle of Harbaugh's NFL coaching career, as he would leave for Michigan two seasons later.

The point here is that while Pierce more than deserves to be this team's head coach in 2024, and has earned the position, if Harbaugh wants to come to the Raiders, Davis is going to find it impossible to turn him away. He has connections with Tom Brady, has been a winner everywhere he has been, and even started his coaching career with the Silver and Black.

This is going to be an interesting thing to watch, but with so many other decisions to make this offseason, Davis is going to want to get his head coach and general manager in place as soon as possible. After winning the natty on Monday, Harbaugh appears ready to jump back into the NFL fray, and the Raiders would be waiting with open arms.