Jim Harbaugh turned down more money from Michigan in 2011

Whether Jim Harbaugh is actually interested in the Michigan job or not, it would simply be bad business for him to come out and say he will not be the next head coach of the Wolverines.

If nothing else, Harbaugh can use Michigan’s desperation as leverage. There have already been reports that Harbaugh wants to stay in the NFL and prefers to remain on the west coast, but that hasn’t stopped the Michigan speculation. In fact, various reports have surfaced this week claiming Harbaugh is warming up to the idea of returning to his alma mater and has been offered more than $8 million per season to do so.

As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes, Harbaugh has already taken less money from an NFL team than what Michigan was offering. In 2011, Harbaugh signed a deal with the San Francisco 49ers that is paying him $5 million per season. Before he took the Niners job, Harbaugh turned down $5.2 million annually from Michigan.

Now, the Oakland Raiders are said to be desperate to land Harbaugh. Team owner Mark Davis wants to make a big hire and get the Raiders out of the 4-12 gutter they have been stuck in for several years, and Harbaugh would certainly meet that requirement. Would Davis be willing to spend more than $8 million per year?

If Davis believes Michigan has actually offered Harbaugh that kind of money, he just might. The highest-paid coaches in the NFL — Pete Carroll, Sean Payton and probably Bill Belichick — make around $8 million per season. Giving Harbaugh the same money isn’t out of the question for the Raiders.

Bottom line? We can’t rule out Harbaugh becoming the next head coach at Michigan, and that’s exactly the way he wants it to be.