The Washington Commanders reportedly could be in the mix to hire Jim Harbaugh as their next head coach if the Michigan head football coach decides to leave the college ranks to return to the NFL.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Wednesday that he was told "not to totally discount" the idea of Harbaugh joining the Commanders, especially since his brother, John Harbaugh, is head coach of the nearby Baltimore Ravens.

Washington's head coaching position became available one day after the end of the 2023 regular season when the Commanders fired Ron Rivera, ending his four-year tenure with the organization.

Fowler added that Harbaugh isn't likely to make any "fast and firm decisions" about the NFL in the coming days, preferring instead to enjoy the aftermath of winning the national title leading up to Saturday's parade.

He figures to make a choice regarding his future after that, and Fowler noted that Harbaugh has been linked to the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders in addition to "preliminary interest" from the Commanders.

Harbaugh has spent the past nine seasons as the head coach at his alma mater, and he finally reached the top of the mountain on Monday, as his Wolverines beat the Washington Huskies 34-13 in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, capping a perfect 15-0 season.

While it is possible Harbaugh could stay at Michigan and attempt to build a dynasty, there has been plenty of buzz and speculation regarding him going back to the NFL as well.

Perhaps the biggest reason why he could opt to return to the NFL is the fact that Michigan was the subject of a ton of controversy during the 2023 season.

Harbaugh served a self-imposed suspension for the first three games of the regular season due to NCAA violations during the COVID-19 dead period, and he was suspended by the Big Ten for the final three games of the regular season as well.

The Big Ten suspension was the result of a sign-stealing scheme allegedly led by former Michigan staffer Connor Stalions and a booster.

The University of Michigan and Harbaugh denied any knowledge of or involvement in the wrongdoing, but he was suspended nonetheless.

Harbaugh returned to coach the Wolverines in their Big Ten Championship Game win over Iowa, their Rose Bowl win against Alabama and their triumph over Washington in the national title game.

However, based on the severity of the allegations against Michigan, NCAA sanctions are a possibility, and there is a chance Harbaugh may want to avoid them by transitioning to NFL.

Harbaugh was an NFL head coach once before and he enjoyed tremendous success, going 44-19-1 in four seasons with the San Francisco 49ers.

Under Harbaugh's leadership, the Niners reached three NFC Championship Games and one Super Bowl, so there is little doubt he will be one of the hottest candidates available if he throws his hat into the ring.

The Commanders have finished .500 or worse in seven consecutive seasons, including a 4-13 mark in 2023.

They could use a franchise-altering coach like Harbaugh, and new owner Josh Harris may be willing to go to great lengths in order to make it happen, as ESPN's Adam Schefter reported last week that Harris is "not expected to spare any expense" in his search for a new head coach.

Fowler noted that the Commanders want to find a president of football operations before hiring a coach so they can have a collaborative effort and a "true pairing" moving forward.

The hiring on that front could play a big role in whether or not Harbaugh is interested in the Commanders, but one thing that undoubtedly makes them an attractive landing spot is the fact that they own the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, meaning they are positioned to potentially select either USC quarterback Caleb Williams or North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye.