ANN ARBOR – The University of Michigan quickly changed its primary telephone number, as well as that of of every single member of its faculty and staff, to a series of unlisted telephone numbers in order to avoid the calls of Jim Harbaugh, whose San Francisco 49ers squandered a 21-0 lead in an embarrassing 38-35 loss to the San Diego Chargers, according to sources close to the Big Ten university.
“It’s the strangest thing,” said Harbaugh early Sunday morning. “For the past several weeks, I’ve been negotiating with various Michigan executives to potentially become the Wolverines’ head coach in 2015. We were pretty close to finalizing the deal on Saturday. So I told them I would call them back after our game against San Diego. Well, I’ve been trying and trying since the end of our unfortunate overtime loss, and there doesn’t seem to be any answer.”
Added Harbaugh: “I just keep getting this recording that says, ‘the number you are trying to reach is no longer in service, Please check the number and try your call again.’ Do you think maybe the school suddenly went out of business of something?”
The 50-year old Harbaugh, who has been linked to the Michigan opening since Brady Hoke was fired by the university in early December, told reporters that his telephone difficulties did not stop at his failed attempt to contact the school.
“There seems to be a rash of phone malfunctions today,” a confused Harbaugh said. “Every single number in the Raiders’ office seems to be on the fritz too. Weird, huh?”
