Michigan's Jim Harbaugh, Juwan Howard Accept 10% Salary Cuts Amid COVID-19

Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh and men's basketball head coach Juwan Howard have each accepted 10 percent salary cuts for the 2021 fiscal year to help compensate for the athletic department's projected $26.1 million budget deficit due mostly to the COVID-19 pandemic, per Bryan Fischer of College Football Talk:

The cancellation of sports has caused numerous athletic departments to make budget cuts, including Michigan's.

NCAA winter championships were canceled this year, and spring sports seasons ended in mid-March.

Although the fall sports season is scheduled to begin on time, it's unclear if that will be case because of the pandemic.

The United States has recently seen a stark rise in COVID-19 cases, with the country setting a one-day high with at least 44,580 on Monday, per figures from the World Health Organization.

Harbaugh's salary was $7,504,000 for 2019, per USA Today. Howard signed a five-year deal starting at $2 million annually in 2019, per Nick Baumgardner and David Jesse of the Detroit Free Press.

Harbaugh and Howard aren't the only high-level athletic department employees taking pay cuts. Of note, athletic director Warde Manuel, other senior-level administrators and "many" head coaches will take 10 percent pay cuts beginning August 1, per Michigan's announcement.

Staffers earning between $100,001 and $150,000 will take 7.5 percent pay cuts, and those earning between $50,000 and $100,000 will see 5 percent pay cuts. Anyone earning below $50,000 will not have their salaries reduced.

The school projects spectator admissions revenues to drop 50 percent from fiscal year over fiscal year. Expenses have been cut in every area except for student-athlete financial aid, which has risen $800,000.