Jim Harbaugh Needs To Change His Interview Style To Get Another NFL Head Coaching Job, Says FOX's Jay Glazer - Or Does He?

Sometimes the best way to get a new job is to act like you don't need it.

That can make you more attractive to the interviewer.

This has apparently been Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh's approach to NFL jobs he interviewed for in recent years. There was the Denver Broncos after last season and the Minnesota Vikings after the 2021 season. He did not get an offer in either situation.

Maybe he would have, though, had he acted more like he wanted an offer. Harbaugh tended to interview the interviewees more than they interviewed him as he flipped the script, according to FOX Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer.

Harbaugh may need an NFL job soon more than ever, if he wants to continue coaching. A new contract in the works for him at Michigan has been reportedly put on the back burner. This in light of a recent sign stealing scandal that is reaching new levels of college football espionage. Michigan's systemic, clandestine ways literally blow away the New England Patriots' Deflategate of several years ago.

Michigan's Jim Harbaugh Remains Hot NFL Prospect

Regardless of what happens with an NCAA investigation of Michigan and Harbaugh or possible disciplinary action by the Big Ten, Harbaugh remains among the hottest NFL head coaching prospects. He did immediately win and win big at San Francisco in his first season in 2011 and over the next two seasons. The 49ers had losing seasons in seven of the previous eight seasons under three coaches before Harbaugh's arrival.

And immediately, he went 13-3 and reached the NFC Championship game. Then he went 11-4-1 and reached Super Bowl XLVII before losing to his brother John Harbaugh and the Baltimore Ravens. A 12-4 season followed in 2013 before a third straight NFC title game. That's a winner.

JAY GLAZER SPEAKS OPENLY ON DEPRESSION

Glazer would know what has happened with Harbaugh's NFL interviews since leaving the 49ers after the 2014 season to become Michigan's coach. Glazer is one of the best connected reporters in the NFL. He not only calls NFL general managers and coaches and the like. They often call him to see what is happening, and he has at times acted as a go between in talks between GMs and coaches and GMs and players.

Glazer offered advice to Harbaugh on OutKick The Morning with Charly Arnolt on Friday.

"He's been trying for a couple of years, and I think what Jim Harbaugh does when he interviews is he almost kind of goes in and interviews them," Glazer said. "Like he's going to choose them. And I do think that needs to get switched around. Now, he is a great coach, obviously. He's an incredible coach."

Harbaugh's approach can rub NFL owners and general managers the wrong way.

But sometimes NFL owners and general managers need to be rubbed the wrong way. Too often, they want a new coach to come in and blend in and not make any waves. Those hires tend not to work. Look at the New Orleans Saints, for example. Promoting Dennis Allen from defensive coordinator and trying to keep everything as coach Sean Payton left it was the plan. And it has not been working. The Saints look like slightly above .500 team at best.

Michigan's Jim Harbaugh Would Mix Things Up

You want to mix things up in your organization and win? You hire Jim Harbaugh, and you get out of the way. He has won at every job he has held as a head coach and dramatically turned around that organization's fortunes.

Jim Harbaugh has coached Michigan to back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances and appears headed there again this season. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

And, by the way, his interviewee style of turning the tables is actually brilliant. Leon called it "flipping it" on Curb Your Enthusiasm in another context.

But there is a more fitting example of how it can work in big business - aka college or pro football.

LSU once interviewed a head coaching prospect who came in with a so-so, 34-24-1 record at his previous school. A closer look showed that other than the 9-2 season he just had, this coach was 25-22-1 overall and 17-14-1 in his conference with three six-win seasons.

Harbaugh Not Only Interviewee To Ask The Questions

This coach whipped out a legal yellow pad during part of his interview. Not only did he start asking then-LSU president Mark Emmert and various Board of Supervisors members the questions, he began telling them what LSU needed to do. Construction needed to begin soon on a football-only facility as well as a state of the art, student-athlete academic center.

This coach's presentation was perhaps not as arrogant as Harbaugh's, but he was still telling these people what they needed to do. This did not rub the right people the wrong way. It impressed them, particularly Emmert.

And LSU hired Nick Saban and got out of the way.

I can think of maybe 22 present NFL head coaches who are not as good as Jim Harbaugh right now.

(Agree? Disagree? Email Glenn Guilbeau at glenn.guilbeau@outkick.com or reach him on X @LSUBeatTweet.)