Michigan announced on Wednesday announced some news on the Jim Harbaugh front.
The school shared that Harbaugh had agreed to a restructured contract. Bruce Feldman says the contract runs through 2026, adding an extra year to the deal Harbaugh signed last year. Feldman says the terms of the contract have been altered as well, which likely means Harbaugh got a big raise.
Michigan and Jim Harbaugh have agreed to a new five-year contract that runs through the 2026 season. The contract alters the terms and length of the deal signed last January by an additional season.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) February 16, 2022
Those following the story knew this was coming the moment Harbaugh left Minnesota and said he would be at Michigan as long as they would have him.
The Wolverines embarrassingly cut Harbaugh’s salary last year, though they retained him as a coach. Even though money does not seem to be a huge priority for Harbaugh, the symbolism of the pay cut was likely an issue for the coach. Having his pay cut likely signaled to him that Michigan had questions about whether he was the right man for the job, and whether he was still one of the best coaches in college football.
Getting his contract restored was likely more about seeing Michigan show that they recognize Harbaugh is one of the best coaches in college football and that he deserves the pay that matches such a belief.
We may never know whether it as the Vikings who turned down Harbaugh or whether he was using them to get a raise out of Michigan. Some reports pointed to the former, but in the end, the coach seems to have gotten what he wanted out of the school. At some point in the future we will learn whether Harbaugh got his previous pay level restored or m ore than that.
Photo: Aug 31, 2019; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh before the game against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
