Michigan Football, Jim Harbaugh agrees massive contract extension



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David Jesse
,
Rainer sabin
,
Orion Blood

| Detroit Free Press

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Jim Harbaugh stays with Michigan football.

Harbaugh has agreed to a contract extension that could keep him at Ann Arbor until 2025, according to a press release from the program on Friday.

The extension adds four years to Harbaugh’s deal, which was only one year old and includes “revised financial terms from January 11, 2021.”

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According to a source with direct knowledge of the situation, the extension lowers Harbaugh’s base salary to $ 4 million, but includes several incentives for him to double that figure if he can turn the program into championship material.

[ Jim Harbaugh is Michigan football’s version of John Cooper. That is a shame ]

Michigan Insider’s Sam Webb tweeted Friday afternoon he had confirmed to Harbaugh that the extension was signed.

Several sources confirmed to the Free Press escalators in the Harbaugh deal are linked to winning the Big Ten East division and the Big Ten conference title, qualifying for the college football playoffs and claiming a national championship.

The sources requested anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly about the negotiations.

“I thank athletic director Warde Manuel for placing his trust in me in allowing me to continue coaching the University of Michigan football team, as well as President Mark Schlissel and the Board of Regents for their support. continued support, ”Harbaugh said in the released statement. “My additional thanks to Doug Gnodtke, our football team and the campus departments who continue to support our mission. Over the past few weeks, Warde and I have had honest, open, insightful and constructive discussions to move our program forward. Discussions that I look forward to continuing in the months and years to come We have a plan.

“There is work to be done and challenges to be met. These challenges are being met as we continue to strive for excellence in the classroom and at the field championships, a message which I hope is noted in the language of our agreed contract.

“Thank you to our University of Michigan players and their families who have put their trust in our program and our goals. All of our energy and focus is directed towards building a great foundation for the football season. 2021. “

Harbaugh, 57, is 49-22 since hiring ahead of the 2015 season, immediately bringing the program back to respectability after a string of poor seasons.

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But Harbaugh’s recent battles had left his future in doubt. He has yet to beat Ohio State or qualify for the Big Ten Championship game. And the Wolverines were 2-4 in 2020, including losses to heavy underdog Michigan State, Indiana for the first time since 1987 and a winless Penn State team at the time. Michigan’s last three games of the season have been called off due to COVID-19 issues within the program.

“I continue to believe that Jim is the right person to lead our program in pursuit of the Big Ten and CFP championships,” said MU’s athletic director Warde Manuel. “Our program has not reached a level that everyone expected this year, but I know these setbacks will push coaches, players and staff to move forward. Jim is a tireless worker and competitor. After the season ended, we talked for many hours about what it will take for Jim to lead and get us back on track.

“Jim loves the University of Michigan and this football program. He’s been involved in this college, athletics department, and football program since his days as a player and returned in 2015 as a head coach. He wants to do everything possible to build a championship. the football team while graduating our student-athletes. We must all do our part to continue to help in this quest because everyone needs to shoot the ball. same direction to have a championship level program. “

The extension provides resolution to Michigan’s coaching situation nearly a month after the early signing period, which ran from Dec. 16-18. Harbaugh entered this season as the only Power Five coach with less than two years left on his contract.

Harbaugh told reporters this summer that a new contract was in the works, but the coronavirus pandemic has cut those talks to a halt.

“There are bigger fish to fry for our athletic director, or our administration, me as a coach,” Harbaugh said in July. “He was not at the top of the priority list. I would expect something, that there would be an announcement at some point.

Asked in mid-October about the status of his contract, Harbaugh echoed the sentiment.

“Just other fish, bigger fish to fry,” he says.

Harbaugh’s original contract was set to expire three days after the last game of the 2021 season. According to USA Today Sports’ database of college football coaching salaries, he was expected to earn $ 7.79 million in salary – the fourth highest figure in the country.

Manuel has repeatedly expressed his desire to keep Harbaugh in Michigan for the remainder of his coaching career.

“I stand by my decision and my statement that I want him to retire here,” Manuel said at the Big Ten athletic directors meetings in May 2019.

Contact Orion Sang at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @orion_sang. Learn more about the Michigan Wolverines and sign up for our Wolverines newsletter.



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