Vikings show interest in Jim Harbaugh for head coach, conclude Patrick Graham interview

Jan. 29—If Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh returns to the NFL, it could be with the Vikings.

A source said Saturday the Vikings have interest in interviewing Harbaugh in their search to replace Mike Zimmer as head coach. Harbaugh was San Francisco's coach from 2011-14, his final two seasons being when Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah spent the first two of seven years in the 49ers' front office.

Pro Football Talk first reported that the Vikings plan to interview Harbaugh. The Detroit News reported that Harbaugh has let Michigan know of an intent to interview.

Zimmer was fired Jan. 10 along with general manager Rick Spielman. Adofo-Mensah, who was hired Wednesday, was involved in his first interview Saturday for a head coach, speaking on a Zoom call with New York Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.

Harbaugh, 58, took the 49ers to Super Bowl XLVII in February 2013, and they lost 34-31 to the Baltimore Ravens, coached by his brother, John Harbaugh. He has been Michigan's coach since 2015.

Harbaugh was an NFL quarterback from 1987-2001 and an Oakland Raiders assistant from 2002-03 before having head-coaching stints with the University of San Diego and Stanford, and then going to San Francisco. He then went 44-19-1 with the 49ers before being hired by Michigan, his alma mater. He is 61-24 with the Wolverines and coming off a Big Ten title.

During Harbaugh's final two seasons in San Francisco, Adofo-Mensah was the team's manager of football research and development, the first job he held in the NFL.

Before Adofo-Mensah, 40, was hired by the Vikings, a committee put together by owners Zygi and Mark Wilf for the general manager and coaching search had eight virtual interviews with candidates for head coach. The interview with Graham was the ninth overall.

Graham, 43, was the Giants' defensive coordinator the past two seasons under since-fired head coach Joe Judge. The Giants on Friday hired Judge's replacement in Brian Daboll, and Graham's future with the team is uncertain.

Before joining the Giants, Graham was defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins in 2019. He has 13 years of experience as an NFL assistant after being a college assistant for seven seasons.

Graham is a 2002 graduate of Yale, where he was a defensive tackle. When Graham was at Yale, Adofo-Mensah was also in the Ivy League, and graduated from Princeton in 2003.

Of the first eight candidates to interview for head coach, two are off the table — Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who was hired Thursday to coach the Denver Broncos, and Dan Quinn, who has elected to remain Dallas Cowboys' defensive coordinator. From that list, remaining are Tampa Bay defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell and San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans.