The last thing Jim Harbaugh could’ve imagined happening in his first season as 49ers head coach was that he’d be sampled in a rap song. Thanks to Bay Area rapper Bailey, though, it has happened.

INDIANAPOLIS — Niners coach Jim Harbaugh was a popular man Thursday, and as we wandered into the hallway outside the media center at Lucas Oil Stadium, we happened to catch what might be one of his first “welcome to coaching in the NFL” moments. After spending about 15 minutes at the podium speaking to reporters, Harbaugh was mobbed for a second impromptu session.

An NFL spokesman told me that the league issued a combine-record 715 credentials, beating the previous mark of 628, set last year. Extra tables and chairs had to be added to accommodate the heavier influx of writers and broadcasters seeking to interview some of the nation’s top college prospects invited to participate in drills from now through Tuesday, as well as NFL coaches and executives.

Jim Harbaugh has a new job, and once again, he is chasing Pete Carroll. The two established a bitter rivalry in the Pac-10, coaching Stanford and USC respectively, and now they will tangle as the coaches of the 49ers and Seahawks.

You cannot blame Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh for considering a leap to the NFL. The allure of an NFL coaching gig can be very strong.

But sometimes the grass is not always greener, Jim. This is the kind of thinking that compelled McLean Stevenson to leave “M*A*S*H” to star in his own sitcom, “Hello, Larry”. Sometimes the best job is the one you don’t leave.

NFL Network’s Steve Wyche reports from Miami, where head coach Tony Sparano waits it out while the Dolphins pursue a potential replacement, with Jim Harbaugh the leading candidate.