Harbaugh lands five-year deal, will stay at Michigan
Michigan has decided to stick with coach Jim Harbaugh, finalizing a new, five-year deal on Friday.
The school will pay him $4 million per year and as much as $8 million annually if he meets certain benchmarks, according to a person familiar with the contract who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
“My thanks to athletic director Warde Manuel for the trust that he has shown in allowing me to continue to coach the University of Michigan football team, and to President Mark Schlissel and the Board of Regents for their ongoing support,” Harbaugh said.
The deal ends months of speculation about Harbaugh’s future. He could have potentially returned to the NFL or the school could have cut loose a coach with one year left on the seven-year contract paying him about $7 million per season that he signed after leaving the NFL.
Harbaugh is now under contract at Michigan through the 2025 season with his new deal.
“I continue to believe that Jim is the right man to lead our program in pursuit of Big Ten and CFP championships,” Manuel said. “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. Following the completion of the season we talked for many hours on what it will take for Jim to lead and get us back on the right trajectory.”
Harbaugh has won nearly 70% of his games, but is winless against archrival Ohio State and as an underdog against any opponent. Michigan has not won the Big Ten since 2004, seven seasons after its last national championship.
The Wolverines were 2- 4 in Harbaugh’s sixth season, which ended with three straight games being canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the program. They were 0-3 at the Big House, too, including listless losses to rebuilding rival Michigan State and previously wineless Penn State.
Harbaugh’s hiring was hailed in
late 2014 and some suggested the former Wolverines quarterback was going to be a savior for college football’s winningest program.
It hasn’t worked out that way so far.
Harbaugh does have a 49-22 record, but his 0-5 mark against the Buckeyes is glaring. And when Wisconsin beat the Wolverines 49-11 in 2020, Harbaugh fell to 0-11 in games his team was not favored.
Harbaugh seemed to be the perfect person to turn around Michigan’s program, which had slumped after Lloyd Carr’s retirement following the 2007 season, given his success with the 49ers and as the coach at Stanford.
He didn’t dampen enthusiasm with a pair of 10-win seasons, but he followed that up by averaging four losses the next three years. ARIZONA HIRES BROWN TO LEAD DEFENSE >> Arizona has hired Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown to lead its defense under new coach Jedd Fisch.
Nicknamed “Dr. Blitz,” Brown heads to the desert after five seasons with the Wolverines.
Brown has coached nearly 45 years. He also served as defensive coordinator at Boston College (2013-15), UConn (2011-12) and Maryland (2009).
Brown was head coach at Massa
chusetts, Northeastern and Plymouth State.
NOTRE DAME BRINGS IN FREEMAN AS DC >> Notre Dame has found its new defensive coordinator, hiring Marcus Freeman away from Cincinnati.
Freeman had spent the last three seasons as Cincinnati’s linebackers coach and defensive coordinator. He now will fill both those roles at Notre Dame.
He replaces Clark Lea, who left to take over Vanderbilt’s program.
Cincinnati ranked 13th among all Football Bowl Subdivision teams in total defense (324.6) and eighth in scoring defense (16.8) this season as the Bearcats went 9-1.
PENN STATE SWITCHES OFFENSIVE COORDINATORS >> Penn State has hired Mike Yurcich as offensive coordinator, replacing Kirk Ciarrocca after one year with the former Texas and Ohio State assistant.
Yurcich was offensive coordinator at Texas last season, but found himself out after the school fired coach Tom Herman last week.
Yurcich was passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach for one season at Ohio State in 2019 after six seasons at Oklahoma State.
Ciarrocca was hired away from Minnesota after last season by Nittany Lions coach James Franklin to replace Ricky Rahne, who left to become head coach at Old Dominion.