Cleveland, OH
Jim Harbaugh is underpaid again, which means it’s almost time for his annual dalliance with the NFL
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh drew up the paperwork for his new contract extension on Monday. Literally. While answering two different questions about his future with UM, Harbaugh drew two rectangles with his fingers at Schembechler Hall.
His artwork represents the paper he’d love to sign in Ann Arbor. And Harbaugh says his bosses would love to see him sign it. But the UM coach wants their love in writing, preferably next to a dollar sign and several commas.
“Like anybody — and I’ve said it — you want to be somewhere you’re wanted,” Harbaugh said Monday. “(Bosses) like what you do and how you do it. Then they tell you that — your bosses tell you that — and that gets reflected in a contract.
“Bottom line, (that is) any of us, right? We want to be somewhere that likes how you do it and what you do.”
That’s right, Harbaugh is just like any other employee asking for a raise. Compliments help morale, but they don’t help pay the bills. And though Harbaugh signed a new five-year contract in February 2022, he appears prepared to re-negotiate.
Usually, Harbaugh waits until the holidays — and after college football’s regular season — to shake his bosses’ pockets in search of more coin. But his latest quotes came five days before Michigan hosts Indiana in Week 6 and, perhaps not coincidentally, six days after USA Today published a database of coaching salaries that proves Harbaugh is, objectively, underpaid.
According to that report, Harbaugh’s $8.2 million salary this season ranks 12th among college football coaches and fourth in the Big Ten, and he’s paid that money to coach a team that has finished first in the conference and second in the postseason rankings for two years straight (his salary topped $10 million last year thanks to resulting incentives).
Ohio State coach Ryan Day, Penn State coach James Franklin and recently fired Michigan State coach Mel Tucker all make more than Harbaugh even though none of them own a winning record against him. And of the 11 coaches outearning UM’s this season, only three — Alabama’s Nick Saban, Georgia’s Kirby Smart and Clemson’s Dabo Swinney — have led more 10-win seasons and College Football Playoff appearances than Harbaugh.
The 11 coaches that make more money than Jim Harbaugh in 2023
| Coach, School | Salary | Ten-win seasons since 2015 | CFB Playoff appearances since 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Saban, Alabama | $11.4 million | 8 | 6 (three national titles) |
| Dabo Swinney, Clemson | $10.8 million | 8 | 6 (two national titles) |
| Kirby Smart, Georgia | $10.7 million | 5 | 3 (Two national titles) |
| Ryan Day, Ohio State | $ 10.2 million | 3 (out of four years, fourth was COVID year) | 3 |
| Mel Tucker, Michigan State | $10 million | 1 | 0 |
| Brian Kelly, LSU | $9.9 million | 7 (one at current school) | 2 (zero at current school) |
| Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M | $9.1 million | 2 (zero at current school) | 0 |
| Mark Stoops, Kentucky | $9 million | 2 | 0 |
| Josh Heupel, Tennessee | $9 million | 3 (one at current school) | 0 |
| Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss | $9 million | 3 (one at current school) | 0 |
| James Franklin, Penn State | $8.5 million | 4 | 0 |
| Jim Harbaugh, Michigan | $8.2 million | 5 | 2 |
Cleveland.com is nobody’s agent, but Harbaugh’s representation could already argue he deserves to be paid among the sport’s top-tier coaches. And if second-ranked Michigan (6-0), wins a College Football Playoff game (or two) this season, his price could soar even higher.
What happens if Michigan doesn’t want him enough then?
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History suggests we know the answer. Harbaugh spent parts of the 2016, 2022, and this offseason exploring NFL opportunities. And even when announcing his intent to coach Michigan this season, he couched the news by adding the phrase “no one knows what the future holds.”
Still, Harbaugh signed a new contract at Michigan after last year’s flirtation. MLive’s reporting suggests UM would’ve offered a new extension last offseason if the Wolverines weren’t dealing with an NCAA investigation into Harbaugh’s 2020 recruiting practices. And Harbaugh’s comments on Monday suggest he’d be willing to sign one as long as it reads right.
Harbaugh can’t be thrilled by the three-game investigation Michigan imposed upon him based on the NCAA’s investigation, which he called “nothing to be ashamed of” at Big Ten media days in July. And he can’t be happy that UM’s wait for further NCAA punishments appears to be delaying his new payday. But the Wolverines can always make it up to him by showing their appreciation.
Some bosses do so with praise, but some employees prefer payment. And though Harbaugh had more pressing matters to discuss Monday — “I’m focused on having a good practice today, got a team meeting coming up,” he said — the nation’s 12th-highest paid college football coach still had time to talk about (and draw) his contract.
When asked directly if he felt wanted by Michigan, Harbaugh raised the subject again with a crudely outlined rectangle.
“That’s kind of been a three-and-half-year thing,” Harbaugh said. “Eventually it gets put into a contract. I can’t say that any more clearly. And (I’m) definitely open to that. I think I’ve shown that through the years.”
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