Having interviewed with the Chargers yesterday, Jim Harbaugh is once again firmly in the running for an NFL return. His candidacy for a coaching gig at the pro level has helped give him substantial leverage in negotiating a new Michigan contract as well, however. 
The national champions have long been in talks with Harbaugh on a new contract, and a number of terms on that hypothetical pact appear to have been worked out. A major sticking point, however, pertains to the matter of potential discipline handed down by the NCAA over Harbaugh’s involvement in Michigan’s various scandals. Yahoo! Sports’ Dan Wetzel reports Harbaugh is seeking a number of provisions in his new Wolverines contract if he elects to remain with the school
Specifically, Harbaugh is aiming to have a clause included in his pact which will prevent Michigan from being able to fire him as a result of any NCAA sanctions brought about by its ongoing investigations. In addition, the 60-year-old wants any potential ‘for-cause’ termination decision to be made by a three-member arbitration panel. Traditionally, such matters would be handled by athletic director Warde Manuel, who under Harbaugh’s proposed terms would still be able to fire him for on-field reasons.
After Michigan went undefeated en route to the national championship (a feat accomplished in spite of Harbaugh being suspended for the three games to begin and end the regular season), interest from the NFL has once again picked up. The Chargers have been connected to him early and often this offseason, but plenty of buzz linking him to the Raiders has existed as well. No matter how the 2024 hiring cycle plays out, Harbaugh will be able to secure a lucrative contract for 2024.
On that note, Wetzel adds Harbaugh is seeking to have the start date of his latest Michigan extension delayed. As things currently stand, an NFL team would be required to pay a buyout of $1.5MM to hire Harbaugh away. The school is aiming to raise that figure to roughly $4MM. Harbaugh wants to push back the point at which that happens to February 15 – in other words, after this year’s NFL coaching hires have been made – per Wetzel. That request, coupled with Harbaugh’s decision to hire an agent, continue to point toward an NFL return.
Harbaugh enjoyed a successful run with the 49ers from 2011-14, and he discussed NFL openings in each of the past two offseasons. If 2024 proves to represent the year in which he made the jump, it will have come after a lengthy negotiating period with his alma mater. If not, he will have protection against NCAA discipline. something which would likely help his market with respect to future NFL opportunities.
“Show Me the Money !!!”
This needs to end soon! Either crap or get off the pot Jim! We need a coach in place to get the 2024 off season started and him taking his sweet azz time is getting old. If your gonna go, go. If your gonna stay, stay! Just figure it out already!
I agree! Too much drama for this guy. Wake me up in 3-4 years when he’s run of of town wherever he goes and returns to the NCAA
You need leverage when you’re the current national champion, and you have a .700 plus winning percentage at the pro level? Who writes this stuff? Fact is that he took a look at the Chargers just like everybody else does and said thanks but no thanks. Loser franchise that nobody cares about.
A cheap, loser franchise that nobody cares about.
Clearly innocent people who didn’t break any rules don’t have to push hard for immunity from being fired for any potential future violations.
There is over a hundred million dollars guaranteed at stake. People tend to find any kind of way to get out of paying large sums of money, so it’s only right for him to seek protections from losing that. Everybody knows that he and his staff were stealing signs.
We have no clue how much they did until the NCAA finishes their investigation. People think that the Wolverines have been punished. No, they were punished by the Big 10 the NCAA is going to drop the hammer on them.
The NCAA doesn’t have any teeth anymore. They’re not going to drop a hammer on anybody.
Sounds like coping
I’m hardly a Michigan fan. It’s just the truth. It’s the wild west since NIL came to the sport. Like this cheating scandal broke a month before the playoff started, and they did nothing. Think about it. Their current champion had a very plausible cheating scandal hanging over their head, and they let them in the playoff anyway. That’s because they have no power anymore.
The NCAA takes a year or 2 for anything it’s happening just not rushed. They don’t even have an official format set yet for the playoffs in 2025 urgency means nothing to them
Like the ncaa’s urgency in taking wins frm JoPa’s career win total then quietly a few yrs later restoring them. Ncaa has all it can handle right now w/continued NIL litigation. We’re seeing last breaths of that archaic indentured servant format and the “amateur” association that ran it.
NCAA doesn’t handle things one by one they have a bunch of departments, committee, etc that do different things.
Why does an innocent man need such protections?
Im sure it was more of a rhetorical question, but it is because he clearly isn’t that innocent..lol
ESPN and some others tried to downplay Michigan’s infractions, but he was about to get fired and went out of his way to cheat in order to get Michigan over the hump and pass Ohio State.
I like Harbaugh, personally, but it is what it is.
They needed to cheat in order to beat OSU being coached by John Cooper 2.0
They needed that Stallions intro to win yet still won when all of it was confiscated by the Big 10 & NCAA. Yep, that must be the reason, not the new defense that Mike McDonald installed.
If you don’t need to cheat, and it doesn’t affect the game, why take the risk breaking those rules to do it??
I’ll wait..
@stat head it’s kind of like Barry Bonds cheating with steroids. He was a HoF talent yet by cheating we don’t actually know and we’ll never know how good he would have been without cheating. The Wolverines were able to beat a mediocre Buckeyes team with a QB so bad he’s not at Syracuse and only did it by like 1 touchdown.
Ehhh, not really the same thing.
Pre-scandal Harbaugh was 49-27 coming off a very disappointing 2-4 COVID season, and there were countless rumors of his job security being on the line..
Then, he cheats, and turns the program around going 40-3…
He was on the verge of being fired for not exceeding their expectations, and the flame in recruiting was wearing off..
Then, in order to get over the hump and become an elite team he videos other teams signals, cheats, and builds up his roster based off his newfound success and his natural recruiting skills…
Both are cheaters, but Bonds was already going to be a HOF player. Harbaugh was one mediocre season away from getting the boot.
I don’t have any arguments with any of this. You’re right.
I understood the premise of what you were saying. I just wanted to put that extra information out there.
I’m a 49ers fan, I love Jim Harbaugh, but I am not one of those rose colored glasses, bias fans. I have to call it for what it is..
the donald trump of college coaches
To be fair, Harbaugh’s had more than just the one fluke win against a really weak opponent.