The decision on whether Jim Harbaugh will be inked to a contract extension as the Michigan football coach rests solely on one man — Jim Harbaugh.
That decision could come as soon as Monday or be stretched out, but the university expects a decision this week.
A multi-year contract extension has been offered to Harbaugh, but as of Saturday evening, no extension has been signed, sources close to the situation told the Free Press.
The deal, which was initially offered as a three-year extension, would kick in on Jan. 11. That’s the day each year of Harbaugh’s contract has started since he was hired in 2014.
Other media reports say the extension offered was for five years. Harbaugh has one year left on his contract.
The sources spoke to the Free Press on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t cleared to talk to the media about the discussions.
MITCH ALBOM:Who makes the call on Jim Harbaugh? Likely, Harbaugh
Harbaugh hasn’t signed it yet because he’s waiting to see if any NFL teams have interest in him as a head coach.
The answer to that question could come quickly.
The NFL regular season wraps up Sunday, which is followed by “Black Monday,” when head coaches all around the league are let go.
There are several openings already in the NFL, including with the Detroit Lions, but Harbaugh is said to have interest in the New York Jets. Adam Gase, the Jets head coach who has won just two games this season, will reportedly be fired after Sunday’s finale.
[ Lions head coach search: Picking best and worst matches, including Harbaugh ]
Harbaugh is also said to be interested in the Los Angeles Chargers job, should it come open. Anthony Lynn, the L.A. head coach, is 32-31 in four seasons entering Sunday.
Harbaugh’s coaching resume is filled with previous stops at college and professional coaching jobs in California, including four seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, whom he led to the Super Bowl during the 2012 season.
If Harbaugh doesn’t draw interest from those teams, then he is expected to re-sign with Michigan.
SHAWN WINDSOR:Michigan needs the old Harbaugh to rescue them
No one truly knows what Harbaugh is planning to do — he is known for keeping his decision making process close to his own vest.
What is known is he has an offer from U-M to keep coaching there. Athletic Director Warde Manuel has made the extension offer and has no plans to fire Harbaugh this year, multiple sources told the Free Press. The university’s leaders have left the decision to Manuel. None are advocating for Harbaugh to be brought back, but none would block Manuel if he decided Harbaugh should be let go.
Harbaugh has been under fire from fans for his team’s play this season. The team had a 2-4 record and was upset by Michigan State, beaten by Indiana for the first time 33 years and suffered the most lopsided home defeat since 1935 during an ugly affair against Wisconsin. The team did not play its traditional rivalry game against Ohio State because COVID positive tests, contact tracing and other injuries left the team without enough players to compete.
This season, Harbaugh was scheduled to make $8,036,179, making him the fourth highest-paid coach in college football. That includes a $2 million annual life insurance premium as long as he was coach by Dec. 6, 2020. But, his base pay and additional compensation was reduced by 10% due to the pandemic.
Harbaugh and Manuel had their annual end-of-the-season meetings where, among other things, Harbaugh’s contract was discussed.
FOLLOW THE MONEY:Moving on from Harbaugh would be costly for Michigan
NO MATCH:College Football Playoff affirms Ohio State’s dominance over Michigan and Big Ten
Harbaugh, 57, was hired just after the 2014 season and is 49-22 in six seasons. However, U-M has not reached the Big Ten championship game under Harbaugh, is 0-5 against Ohio State and 3-3 against Michigan State.
Last month, Michigan fired defensive coordinator Don Brown, whom Harbaugh hired before the 2016 season. The Wolverines went from 25th in the nation in points allowed in 2019 to 96th this season.
The extension would offer Harbaugh a lower base salary than he currently has and a lower buyout figure, making it easier to fire him next year if needed, according to sources.
REPLACING BROWN:5 candidates to become Michigan’s next defensive coordinator
The Free Press and USA Today Sports calculated the buyout figure based on the scenario of terminating him the day after the final game of the season on Dec. 20 and retaining his staff through Jan. 10 — the expiration date attached to the contracts of six assistant coaches. Under this scenario, Michigan would have to pay out as much as $10.775 million to clean house and start anew. Harbaugh would be owed around $6.4 million for the remainder of a deal that is set to end three days after the final game of the 2021 season is played.
Free Press sports writer Orion Sang contributed. Contact David Jesse: 313-222-8851 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @reporterdavidj. Subscribe to the Detroit Free Press.
