It’s sad to hear that the Michigan head coach has signed a monster contract.
Over the past few months, Michigan football and Jim Harbaugh have attempted to work out a contract extension, but there have been a number of obstacles in their path.
First, Harbaugh wasn’t “feeling the love” because it seemed like the administration wasn’t in agreement. Subsequent NCAA investigations then created some controversy related to the program.
It’s unclear at this point whether Harbaugh will stay in Ann Arbor through his tenth season and beyond, but the Michigan offer wasn’t as simple as a five-year contract, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports. Rather, it’s a ten-year contract worth $12.5 million annually for him.
According to sources, Michigan made Harbaugh an offer for a 10-year, $125 million contract extension that would put him among the highest-paid college football coaches. His current contract expires in 2026. But there’s a catch, and it has to do with the NFL.
In the event that Harbaugh executed the contract, which he has not yet done, he would be bound to decline any offers to play in the NFL come 2024. Although the NFL clause only allowed for one season, it seems that this has been enough to cause the process to drag on.
Despite the considerable dismay among Michigan supporters regarding Harbaugh’s failure to sign the contract, the head coach has virtually always been overly focused on the current campaign. And undoubtedly that increases his concentration only on football because the Wolverines are in the postseason and have a chance to play in the national championship game.
As has been the case since Harbaugh arrived in 2015, with the exception of the 2020 postseason, there will continue to be rumors that he will sign elsewhere until a deal is signed, especially with the no-NFL flirtation caveat.
