Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh has decided to leave Cardinal football to become head coach of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers, it was announced Friday. Harbaugh was introduced as the 49ers’ head coach at a press conference on Friday afternoon.
“It’s with humility and a heavy heart that I leave Stanford and its football team, but the opportunity to compete at this level overwhelmed me,” Harbaugh said.
ESPN reported that the five-year deal will pay Harbaugh $5 million annually.
Harbaugh first met with officials from the 49ers on Wednesday, where the team reportedly made its offer to the coach. On Thursday, Harbaugh met with the Miami Dolphins and with top Stanford officials, including University President John Hennessy. Stanford offered Harbaugh a new contract in those meetings that reportedly came close to the 49ers’ offer in financial terms.
Hennessy and Bob Bowlsby, Stanford’s athletic director, both released statements in the wake of Harbaugh’s departure.
“We are grateful to Jim Harbaugh for re-energizing the Stanford football program over the past four years,” Hennessy said. “He helped build momentum that we are confident will continue into the future. We made Jim the best offer we could commensurate with our role as a university.”
“Jim Harbaugh has done an outstanding job of advancing the football program at Stanford University and I am grateful for all of his tremendous work,” Bowlsby said. “Coach Harbaugh has led the program with integrity, vision, enthusiasm and energy and his teams have played with precision and exceptional passion.”
With star quarterback Andrew Luck turning down the NFL Draft to return for his senior year, Stanford was believed to have the inside track on keeping its head coach, at least for next season. San Francisco’s offer falls short of what Harbaugh was thought to be seeking-a contract paying him over $6.5 million annually, using the contract signed last season by former USC head coach Pete Carroll with the Seattle Seahawks as a benchmark.
Bowlsby will begin his search for a new head coach in earnest, as the Cardinal would like to have a coach in place as soon as possible to prevent losing recruits to rival programs. The team will need to have a head coach in place by Feb. 2, the first day that recruits can officially sign with programs.
Bowlsby’s initial short list is believed to include current Boise State head coach Chris Petersen and former Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti. He is also considering three internal candidates: assistant head coach Greg Roman, offensive coordinator David Shaw and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Bowlsby has met with all three internal candidates and Stanford has reached out to Petersen, but it is unclear how much contact the two sides have had.
Harbaugh’s departure has already had an impact on the recruiting class-linebacker James Vaughters from Tucker High School in Georgia, Stanford’s top defensive prospect, said earlier that he would reopen his recruitment if Harbaugh left Stanford. Vaughters verbally committed to the Cardinal in June. Stanford did pick up another commitment from a coveted recruit after Harbaugh’s departure-ESPN.com reported that safety Wayne Lyons, from Dillard in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., plans to attend Stanford in the fall.
An earlier version of this article appeared online Friday afternoon.