For those of us who want to see Jim Harbaugh give it the ole college try in the NFL again, apparently, his heart remains on making his alma mater's Michigan Wolverines the best college football team possible. Harbaugh is coming up on a decade at his alma mater. Prior to coming back to Ann Arbor after the disastrous end of the Brady Hoke era, he would only be somewhere for three or four years.
Now after a pair of Big Ten Championships and consecutive berths into the College Football Playoff, Michigan insider John U. Bacon reported that the university is not only going to extend Harbaugh, but that it will do so within the next few weeks, thus making him the highest paid head coach in the entire conference. Harbaugh has not won a national championship yet, but he is an institution at Michigan.
Clearly, Harbaugh, the board of regents, university president Santa Ono and athletic director Warde Manuel all want this to happen.
"The Regents, Warde Manuel, and President Ono are all in alignment that Jim (Harbaugh) should have an extension within the next month that makes him the highest paid coach in the conference."
For Manuel to be on-board with this, especially given his contentious relationship with Harbaugh historically, certainly speaks volumes.
For as long as Harbaugh remains at Michigan, the Wolverines will remain a championship contender.
Jim Harbaugh contract extensions are in the works at Michigan currently
Given all that Harbaugh has done for Michigan in his coaching career, and his playing career before that, he should be allowed to stay at his post in Ann Arbor for as long as he wants. Not until the level of play goes back to what it was right before and during the COVID season, Michigan is in great hands with Harbaugh. The big question is if this is the year the Wolverines win their first playoff game or two.
I have no problem with Harbaugh being the highest-compensated head coach in the Big Ten, possibly even getting up into the top-five range across the sport. However, if the Wolverines are unable to get past whomever in the national semifinals should they make the playoff once again, you have to be wondering if Michigan has hit its ceiling under Harbaugh. At the very least, they could be plateauing...
Overall, I think extending Harbaugh before the end of the regular season makes all the sense in the world. It would lock him into a new deal and would prevent his name from being linked to NFL jobs that could be had. He has drawn interest from the likes of the Minnesota Vikings, the Denver Broncos and the Indianapolis Colts, among others, over the last two offseasons. This keeps him in Ann Arbor.
The sooner Harbaugh is extended, the faster we can move on from thinking he is going to the NFL.
