Michigan football: Jim Harbaugh reportedly signing extension through 2026
By Scott Rogust
Jim Harbaugh is close to signing a contract extension that’ll keep him as the Michigan football coach through 2026.
Michigan’s 2020 football season didn’t go as planned for head coach Jim Harbaugh and their fans. After winning their season opener, Michigan would go on to lose four of their next five games of the season, before their final three contests were canceled due to COVID-19. With a 2-4 record, many Michigan football fans expected the university to part ways with Harbaugh and start anew.
That won’t be the case.
According to Bruce Feldman of The Athletic, there’s optimism that Michigan and Harbaugh will come to an agreement on a contract extension that will keep the head coach in Ann Arbor through 2026.
Jim Harbaugh hasn’t lived up to the hype as the Michigan football coach
There have been reports throughout the season that athletic director Warde Manuel and Harbaugh were discussing a contract extension that would be incentives-based and feature a less staggering buyout fee in case things continue to go awry.
Harbaugh’s seven-year, $52.1 million deal was set to expire following the 2021 season. If Michigan were truly done with Harbaugh, they wouldn’t be giving him a five-year extension. But the signs were there after the program fired defensive coordinator Don Brown last month and he wasn’t involved in any NFL job rumors.
In his six years coaching the Wolverines football program, Harbaugh has accumulated a 49-22 regular-season record and 1-4 bowl game record (lone win came in the Citrus Bowl in 2015).
Some Michigan football fans may not like the news, but it goes to show that the university still believes Harbaugh is the man capable of righting the ship.
Next. 30 biggest college football scandals of all time. dark
For more NCAA football news, analysis, opinion and unique coverage by FanSided, including Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff rankings, be sure to bookmark these pages.