Jim Harbaugh says he has no plans to leave San Francisco 49ers

SAN FRANCISCO, March 4 (UPI) -- Rumors about a rift between 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh and other members of the organization have been swirling for a while now and there were also recent reports of a possible trade that would have sent the San Francisco coach to the Cleveland Browns.

During an interview with Sports Illustrated, Harbaugh said that he has no intention of leaving the team before his contract expires after next season. "No," Harbaugh said. "Zero opportunity or chance of that in my mind."

Harbaugh has taken San Francisco to three straight NFC Championship Games and gone to one Super Bowl.

"There was never any opportunity to leave the San Francisco 49ers," Harbaugh 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."

He also addressed his relationship with general manager Trent Baalke.

"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."

The hot-headed coach indicated he has no aspirations of securing the general manager role for himself. "No. I've never wanted more power. We have a great organization. Everybody in our organization works their tails off and does a very good job. Everybody does a little and adds it up to a lot."

[Sports Illustrated]