The Michigan Wolverines had one of the best seasons in recent memory last year, finishing the regular season with a 12-1 record before falling short in their College Football Playoff matchup to the Georgia Bulldogs, who went on the win the National Championship.
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh completed a number of accomplishments last season. The Wolverines were finally able to beat their bitter rival in Ohio State, a feat that Harbaugh hadn’t yet done as Michigan’s head coach.
Despite this, Harbaugh tested out the waters of the NFL job market this offseason. He interviewed for the Minnesota Vikings‘ head coaching vacancy, but other than that his interest in returning to the NFL seemed pretty one-sided.
Following his return from exploring NFL interest, there were questions on what was next for the Michigan head coach. He answered those questions a couple of weeks ago in an interview, saying that “The University of Michigan is where I want to be.” And Harbaugh has always defended his stance of wanting to be Michigan head coach, even saying back in December that he would do his job for free if he had to. But that won’t be necessary for Harbaugh, as the school announced Wednesday that they have agreed to a contract extension with Harbaugh.
The University of Michigan and head coach Jim Harbaugh have agreed to a contract extension.
🗞 https://t.co/ZQUpWmigv3#GoBlue pic.twitter.com/Tpr4c8iQ6S
— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) February 16, 2022
This extension will add another year to the contract Harbaugh signed with Michigan last January, taking him through the 2026 season.
“I love Michigan Football, the University of Michigan and the Ann Arbor community,” said Harbaugh on his new extension.
“My family and I are excited to continue leading this football program, and we are thankful for the support that our athletic department and university administration have demonstrated toward the team.”
While the details of the deal haven’t been released yet, it is assumed that Harbaugh will be getting a bump in pay after taking a pay cut last January.
Here are some reactions around the college football world to the news of the extension.
Michigan inks Jim Harbaugh through 2026. Buyout details will be interesting. https://t.co/apXxsPv3qU
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) February 16, 2022
Coach Harbaugh will join me tomorrow afternoon on ‘In The Trenches’ to discuss his new contract and the program #GoBlue #JustWin https://t.co/hNfskHDhGy
— Jon Jansen (@JonJansen77) February 16, 2022
Jim Harbaugh has agreed to a new five-year deal with Michigan that will run through the 2026 season. No details in the release on how much he’ll be making, but one can assume he’s getting a significant raise after taking a pay cut a year ago. https://t.co/zMNey7nhxk
— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) February 16, 2022
I'm sure this will settle the drama https://t.co/qQwxeg049k
— Erik Schlitt (@erikschlitt) February 16, 2022
With this contract extension, it certainly seems like Harbaugh has put his plans of an NFL return in the rear-view mirror, at least for the time being. And he will look to replicate some of the success that Michigan had last season for years to come, except they will surely hope to actually make it to the championship game this time around.
