Jim Harbaugh wants immunity from accountability if he returns to Michigan
Jim Harbaugh wants his new contract to prevent Michigan's AD from firing him for-cause due to NCAA violations if he returns to Ann Arbor.News of Michigan working to extend Jim Harbaugh first leaked on Oct. 9. More than three months later, they're still working.
Not that that's surprising, of course. Harbaugh has made no attempt to disguise his lust for an NFL job, and the events of the last three months have only complicated matters between coach and school.
In the three months between now and then, the NCAA opened another investigation into Michigan, and Harbaugh brought Michigan its first national championship since 1997.
While Michigan has reportedly offered Harbaugh a 10-year, $125 million deal to continue making sure No One Has It Better Than Them, Harbaugh declined to sign the deal because it would've prevented him from pursuing NFL jobs this cycle.
Harbaugh met with the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday. Other interviews are likely to follow.
As Yahoo's Dan Wetzel reported Tuesday, Harbaugh wants an extension to include language that would prevent Michigan from firing him "for cause" in the event the NCAA drops the proverbial hammer following either of its ongoing investigations. From the report:
Harbaugh is seeking a matrix of fines be spelled out if there are any future NCAA violations as well as prohibiting the school’s athletic director from firing him “for cause” and instead having that decision, should it ever arise, rest in a three-member arbitration panel, sources said.
Harbaugh also wants Michigan to delay the increase of his buyout should he leave for an NFL job. That figure currently sits at $1.5 million. Michigan would like to increase it to $4 million; Harbaugh wants to delay the beginning of the new deal until Feb. 15, at which point the 2024 cycle will likely be over.
While it's understandable and expected that Harbaugh and Michigan would negotiate to put themselves in the best position possible, the buyout sticking point is likely irrelevant either way. Alabama paid $12 million to get Kalen DeBoer out of his Washington contract. No NFL team interested in hiring Harbaugh at $1.5 million would suddenly walk away from a $4 million price tag.
The bigger issue, of course, is the looming cloud of NCAA violations. Harbaugh served two separate 3-game suspensions over the course of last season, one for recruiting violations during the COVID dead period and another for the Connor Stalions scandal. The first suspension was self-imposed by Michigan, and the second came from the Big Ten.
It's possible the NCAA could levy its own punishment of Harbaugh moving forward.
While the Stalions saga drew more public interest, the recruiting investigation is more serious. The NCAA in December charged Harbaugh with a Level I violation for "being less than forthcoming with investigators" for what were originally Level II violations.
While AD Warde Manuel or his successor would not have the contractual ability to fire Harbaugh for possible NCAA violations, Manuel or the next Michigan AD could still fire him for performance. That, of course, would come with a hefty price tag, while a for-cause firing would get Michigan out from under the contract at no cost.
From the report:
The arbitration panel is a system used by the university's president. It is common in university executive contracts, but not with coaches, according to numerous college administrators.
While Harbaugh continues to negotiate what his return to Michigan would look like, it would still be a surprise if he coached the Wolverines in 2024. Harbaugh is one of the top NFL candidates this cycle, and is widely expected to take a job if offered.
