Jim Harbaugh says he isn’t going anywhere.
In a lengthy interview with Sports Illustrated, the 49ers coach touched on his rumored unhappiness, desire for a contract extension and strife within the organization.
As for those rumors about him looking to coach elsewhere, the supposed trade talks between the Browns and 49ers, the fiery and wildly successful coach said: “Zero opportunity or chance of that in my mind.”
“There was never any opportunity to leave the San Francisco 49ers,” he said. “If that existed, it existed in somebody else’s mind, not mine. I am too fond of my team, the players, the coaches. I really feel like we have one of the best, if not the best organizations in football.”
Harbaugh, who has led the 49ers to one Super Bowl and three total NFC championship game appearances in his three seasons, denied reports he wants to be the highest-paid coach in the sport or that he wants an extension with two years left on his current deal.
“I have never said that to anybody — my wife, my brother, my dad,” he said. “I make plenty of money.
“The other one is that I want more power. I have never said that, nor do I want any more power than I have. I coach the team. I’ve told my owner I don’t want any more power. I want to coach the team. And I’ve never told anybody else otherwise.”
According to reports, Harbaugh and general manager Trent Baalke have clashed, and owner Jed York eventually will have to choose between the two. Harbaugh stopped short of calling Baalke his buddy, but he did praise the GM.
“We’re both demanding and we want to be accountable for ourselves, for each other,” Harbaugh said. “If you haven’t had a brother, you probably don’t understand the relationship between the GM and the head coach. We’re partners on the same team. I have great respect for him. He works extremely hard at it and is very good at it. We are all part of a team. I believe in the structure we have. I don’t want to change anything that we do in that regard.”