It would be a record commitment in college football, but according to Michigan football rumors, head coach Jim Harbaugh has agreed to a 10-year, $125 million contract extension with the top-ranked Wolverines. That equates to a $12.5 million-per-year salary, making him the highest-paid collegiate coach in history.
Nick Saban of Alabama currently holds the record for the richest contract on a per-year basis, earning $11.4 million.
According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, the Harbaugh contract contains a contingency that is currently impeding the process. Under the terms of his current contract, Harbaugh would be prohibited from pursuing an NFL coaching position until at least 2024.
“There is one caveat, and it’s NFL-related,” Rapoport wrote on Sunday. “If he signs the contract — which he has yet to do — Jim Harbaugh will agree not to entertain or accept an NFL job for the 2024 season.” The NFL clause would only last one season, but that appears to be enough to prolong the process.”
That would be difficult for Harbaugh to accept given that he has long sought to validate his career by returning to the NFL after a successful stint with the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2015. During Harbaugh’s brief tenure, the 49ers won a Super Bowl and an NFC championship before parting ways in an odd mutual parting that Harbaugh later claimed was not truly mutual.
In each of the previous two seasons, Harbaugh actively sought NFL jobs. He was interviewed by the Vikings in 2022 and the Broncos this year before they hired Sean Payton. If he wanted to work in the NFL, he would be considered by a number of teams, including the Los Angeles Chargers, who would give him the chance to coach star quarterback Justin Herbert.
Would Harbaugh leave Michigan football while the Wolverines are ranked first? The NFL, according to Jason LaCanfora of the Washington Post, remains an impediment to Harbaugh’s long-term commitment to UM.
Canfora wrote, citing an anonymous GM. “Despite recent reports that Jim Harbaugh is on the verge of a new contract with the University of Michigan, people in the NFL aren’t buying an end to his NFL thoughts.” ‘He desperately wants to be back in the NFL,’ the general manager said. This will most likely land him back in Ann Arbor, but don’t dismiss his NFL dreams.”
Don’t dismiss the rumors about Michigan football. One of the issues Harbaugh has had to deal with has been the NCAA’s erratic violation decisions, which suspended Harbaugh for three games due to a hazy sign-stealing scandal. He is also facing additional sanctions as a result of his recruiting activities during what was supposed to be a quiet period during Covid-19.
Moving to the NFL would allow him to get rid of the “baggage” that comes with his repeated NCAA reprimands. That is the opinion of Paul Finebaum, a long-time college football analyst.
“I still find him to be a fascinating figure.” “I don’t think there have been many people like him in college football,” Finebaum said. “I don’t know him very well, and we’ve had some interactions and near-misses over the year.” In a changing world, he is a bit of a dinosaur. Like many others, I’m surprised he’ll be there when Michigan’s season ends because he’s accumulated too much baggage.”
