A $125 million, ten-year contract is sitting somewhere in Ann Arbor waiting for signatures. Jim Harbaugh of Michigan could become the highest-paid college football coach with a single click of a pen. However, Harbaugh has demonstrated a reluctance to write anything down.
Isn’t it curious? After the best three years of his coaching career, a “Michigan Man” has turned down a lucrative contract extension that would have kept him at his alma mater for the rest of his career.
That contract has been sitting with white space above the signature line for weeks.
On Monday night, Harbaugh will lead No. 1 Michigan (14-0) into the National Championship Game against No. 2 Washington (14-0). This is an opportunity to return college football’s greatest honor to Ann Arbor. What more fitting way to exit?
It seems like Harbaugh’s time with the Maize and Blue will come to an end on Monday when he takes the field with the Wolverines. The evidence appears to be overwhelming.
There is “mutual interest” between Harbaugh and the Los Angeles Chargers and the Las Vegas Raiders, according to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report.
Harbaugh has not yet signed the mega-deal with Michigan, as was mentioned? A one-year ban on the coach’s flirting with NFL teams is included somewhere in the long document.
There have long been rumors that Harbaugh might rejoin the NFL. The Michigan coach is reportedly considered for several professional openings each season. It feels different this time.
This season, Harbaugh overcame two different three-game suspensions. One was a self-imposed penalty from Michigan, which admitted to recruiting infractions going all the way back to the Covid-19 outbreak. The coach lost the first three games of the 2023 campaign as a result.
After that, the Big Ten suspended Harbaugh for three games due to the Michigan staffers’ involvement in a sign-stealing scandal. The final three regular-season games for the Wolverines against Penn State, Maryland, and Ohio State were missed by him.
There’s more fun to be had. The NCAA sent Michigan a Notice of Allegations in late December, raising questions about possible recruiting violations that might have happened during the pandemic. Harbaugh might be subject to more severe penalties and a lengthier suspension at some point during the offseason.
Is the sixty-year-old coach really willing to put up with that? Is it now appropriate for him to go back to the NFL, where he can run and hide from any penalties the NCAA may impose?
At Michigan, Harbaugh has reached his goals. After starting the rivalry 0–5 against Ohio State, he eventually overcame it. Three straight Big Ten titles and three trips to the College Football Playoffs have been achieved by the program under his direction.
Michigan will play for its first national championship in almost thirty years on Monday night. What more needs to be accomplished by Harbaugh in Ann Arbor?
Win or lose, Harbaugh will sign a contract when he leaves the field at Houston’s NRG Stadium. It’s likely going to be a deal that will get him back into the NFL rather than the one Michigan has offered.
Michigan’s status as a blueblood program in college football has been restored thanks in part to Harbaugh. His next goal is to pursue the coveted Super Bowl ring that he nearly won ten years ago.
