Jim Harbaugh 'The Right Man' for Michigan After New 4-Year Contract, AD Says
University of Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said Jim Harbaugh is the coach who can get the football program back on the right trajectory in awarding him a four-year extension Thursday.
"I continue to believe that Jim is the right man to lead our program in pursuit of Big Ten and CFP championships," Manuel wrote in a statement. "Our program didn't achieve at a level that anyone expected this year, but I know those setbacks will drive the coaches, players and staff moving forward. Jim is a tireless worker and competitor."
The new contract comes after Michigan finished 2-4 this year—Harbaugh's worst season as the head coach of his alma mater. Overall, Harbaugh is 49-22 (34-16 Big Ten) at UM with just one Big Ten East title in 2018. The program hasn't won a bowl game since the 2016 Citrus Bowl during Harbaugh's first season with the team.
Most importantly in Ann Arbor, the coach has yet to defeat rival Ohio State.
Manuel believes the best is still to come for the 57-year-old former quarterback:
"Jim loves the University of Michigan and this football program. He has been committed to this university, athletic department and football program since his days as a player and returning in 2015 as the head coach. He wants to do everything possible to build a championship football team while graduating our student-athletes. We all need to do our part to continue to help in that pursuit as it takes everyone pulling the same direction to have a championship level program."
The coach said he's still in the process of putting together his staff for the 2021 season after having "honest, open, insightful and constructive" conversations with the AD over the past few weeks and thanked the university for allowing him to continue in his role.
"We have a plan," Harbaugh said in a statement. "There is work to be done and challenges to be addressed. These challenges are being addressed as we continue to strive for excellence in the classroom and championships on the field, a message that I hope is noted in the language of our agreed-upon contract."
