Jim Harbaugh, Michigan Reportedly Finalizing New 5-Year, $20M Contract

Jim Harbaugh will reportedly remain at Michigan.

Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic reported Thursday that Harbaugh is expected to sign a five-year contract to remain the head coach at Michigan, a deal that will keep him in Ann Arbor through the 2026 season.

The deal carries an expected base salary of $4 million but could double with incentives, per Baumgardner. 

News of an extension should come as no surprise, as Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports reported on Jan. 2 that the school was optimistic an extension would be reached.

Harbaugh has compiled a 49-22 record over the course of six seasons in Ann Arbor.

The contract extension comes on the heels of a disappointing 2020 campaign, which saw the Wolverines finish 2-4.

While things started off on a high note with a blowout victory over then-No. 21 Minnesota in the season opener, Michigan's season quickly spiraled out of control.

Michigan fell to unranked Michigan State—a team that was coming off a loss to Rutgers in its season opener—in Week 2. The Wolverines then got blown out by Indiana and Wisconsin before getting back in the win column against Rutgers, with a triple-overtime victory on Nov. 21.

A 27-17 loss to the then-winless Penn State Nittany Lions on Nov. 28 wound up being the final game of the season for Harbaugh and Co., as the team's final three games were canceled due to coronavirus-related reasons. 

As the Wolverines look to put the 2020 campaign behind them as quickly as possible, they have decided to move forward with Harbaugh.

When Harbaugh took over in 2015, Michigan was coming off a 5-7 performance under Brady Hoke and had reached double digits in the win column just once in the previous eight seasons. Hiring the former San Francisco 49ers coach immediately helped the program get back on track.

Michigan went 10-3 with a Citrus Bowl victory in Harbaugh's first season in 2015. The next season, the Wolverines were on the verge of reaching the College Football Playoff for the first time ever before a loss to archrival Ohio State knocked them out of the Big Ten East race and ultimately the playoff race.

They took a major step back in 2017, stumbling to an 8-5 record. The team responded in 2018, though, as it went on the much-hyped "Revenge Tour," which saw it take a No. 4 ranking into Columbus for the regular-season finale. But once again, the Buckeyes spoiled the Wolverines' season.

That would be the theme of Harbaugh's tenure in Ann Arbor.

Harbaugh has recorded three 10-win seasons in six years at Michigan, though the Wolverines have never finished with fewer than three losses. Most notably, his teams have struggled in spotlight games:

• 11-16 versus Top 25 teams 
  
• 1-9 versus Top 10 teams 
  
• 1-4 in bowl games

Part of those struggles can be attributed to rivalry games:

• 1-1 versus Notre Dame 
• 3-3 versus Michigan State
• 0-5 versus Ohio State 
  

Michigan has never won the East division under Harbaugh, let alone a conference championship. And as promising as some seasons appeared to be at times, it has never reached the CFP.

As Michigan struggled late in the 2020 season, Harbaugh's name began to appear in the rumor mill, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk reported in early December that he was eyeing an NFL gig. According to reporter John U. Bacon, "at least" five NFL teams had expressed interest in hiring the Wolverines coach.

In the end, though, Harbaugh appears to be back coaching Michigan.