Head coach Harbaugh leaving San Francisco 49ers, team says

[December 29, 2014]  (Reuters) - The San Francisco 49ers and head coach Jim Harbaugh have parted ways, the National Football League team announced shortly after their regular season finale on Sunday.

Harbaugh is widely expected to return the American college ranks and accept the head coaching position at the University of Michigan, which according to multiple media reports have offered him a six-year, $48 million deal.

"I had the time of my life. It's like that song," Harbaugh said in a report on NFL.com. "I had the time of my life; I really did."

The 49ers finished a tension filled season with a disappointing 8-8 record, missing the postseason. But the fiery Harbaugh signed off with a 20-17 win over the Arizona Cardinals and was handed the game ball after the final whistle.

Harbaugh took over the 49ers in 2011, leading the team to three straight postseason berths including three NFC championship games and a Super Bowl appearance. He had a 49-22-1 overall record with the team and was 5-3 in the postseason.

(Reporting by Gene Cherry in Salvo, North Carolina, Steve Keating in Toronto.; Editing by Peter Rutherford/Gene Cherry)

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