Jim Harbaugh Declines Michigan’s Contract To Coach Again Despite Been Offered $22,867 Million For…

Jim Harbaugh has reportedly received a new contract offer from Michigan to continue leading the Wolverines. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network claims that the offer has a special “no NFL” clause, though.

In recent years, Harbaugh has been considered for NFL positions, and he is anticipated to draw a lot of interest in the next cycle of coach hiring. After leading the Wolverines to a 13-0 season, the 60-year-old Harbaugh’s team is the clear favorite to win the National Championship.

Michigan had already made Harbaugh an offer of a 10-year, $125 million contract to keep him from being enticed by NFL teams. According to reports, Harbaugh would also have to consent to turn down every offer from the NFL in the 2024 season if he were to accept the new contract.

According to Rapoport, Michigan also put forth a shorter agreement that includes a $11 million salary annually. It’s unclear, though, if the alternative plan includes the same “no NFL” clause.

From 2011 to 2014, Jim Harbaugh led the San Francisco 49ers as their head coach. He guided the team to three straight postseason trips and Super Bowl XLVII during that time. With a 44-19-1 regular season record and a 5-3 postseason record, Harbaugh left the 49ers at the end of the 2014 season.

When Harbaugh had interviews with the Minnesota Vikings and the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022, he was on the verge of joining the NFL again. After losing out on both positions, he made the decision in 2023 to reject any NFL offers. This time, he’s connected to the Raiders once more and is reportedly a contender for the head coaching position with the Los Angeles Chargers.

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Jim Harbaugh Weighs Record-Breaking Contract…

Although it would be a record commitment for a college football team, Jim Harbaugh, the head coach of the top-ranked Michigan Wolverines, is reportedly sitting on a ten-year, $125 million contract. With that annual salary of $12.5 million, he would become the highest-paid college coach ever.

The current record holder for richest contract on a per-year basis is Nick Saban of Alabama, who makes $11.4 million.

The Harbaugh contract, according to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, has a contingency in it that is currently holding up the process. Harbaugh would be forbidden, at least in 2024, from pursuing an NFL coaching job in the terms of his current offer.

“There is a caveat, and it’s NFL-related,” Rapoport wrote on Sunday. “If he signed the deal — which he has not yet done – Jim Harbaugh would agree not to entertain or accept an NFL job for the 2024 season. The NFL clause would be one season only, but that’s apparently been enough to drag out the process.”

Michigan Football Rumors: Jim Harbaugh Eyeing NFL

Given that he has long sought to validate his career by returning to the NFL following a successful run with the 49ers from 2011 to 2015, that would be tough for Harbaugh to accept. During Harbaugh’s brief tenure, the 49ers advanced to both an NFC and Super Bowl championship game. However, the season concluded with an odd mutual parting that Harbaugh later insisted was not truly mutual.

Harbaugh Took Over Michigan Shortly Thereafter

In each of the last two seasons, Harbaugh has actively sought employment in the NFL. In 2022, the Vikings interviewed him, and this year, prior to Sean Payton’s hiring, he had an interview with the Broncos. He would be considered for several NFL positions if he desired employment, chief among them being the Los Angeles Chargers, who would allow him to mentor rising quarterback Justin Herbert.

Would Harbaugh leave Michigan football while he’s sitting on the No. 1 team in the game? Ten days ago, Jason LaCanfora of the Washington Post reported that the NFL remains an obstacle for a long-term Harbaugh commitment to UM.

Canfora wrote, quoting an unnamed GM. “The NFL community isn’t really buying an end to Jim Harbaugh’s thoughts about the NFL, despite all the hype recently regarding him possibly close to signing a new contract with the University of Michigan. The general manager stated, “He wants back in the NFL, bad.” In the end, he’ll probably return to Ann Arbor, but don’t discount his aspirations to play in the NFL.

Violations Closing in on Wolverines

Do not discount those Michigan football rumors. One of the issues that Harbaugh has had to deal with has been the fickle violation decisions of the NCAA, which suspended Harbaugh for three games because of a vague sign-stealing scandal. He is facing more sanctions, too, related to his recruiting ativities during what was supposed to be a dead time during Covid-19.

Bouncing to the NFL would conveniently allow him to wash his hands of the “baggage” that comes with his repeated NCAA reprimands. That is the thinking of longtime college football analyst Paul Finebaum.

He’s still a fascinating figure in my opinion. He is unlike anyone we have had in college football, according to Finebaum. “Over the past year, I’ve had a few interactions and a few near-misses, but I don’t know him very well. In a world that is changing, he is a bit of a dinosaur. Like many others, I’ll be shocked if he’s still there when Michigan’s season concludes because he has too much baggage.