WSJ: Michigan football ‘rescinded a new contract offer’ for Jim Harbaugh
Michigan football is embroiled in an alleged scandal with accusations that the Wolverines deployed an illegal in-person scouting and sign-stealing operation. The NCAA quickly made it to campus to begin preliminary investigations (something that happens quite rarely) potentially highlighting the severity of the maize and blue’s alleged offenses.
It had been rumored in the weeks leading up to the Week 9 bye week that Jim Harbaugh would formally accept and sign a long-awaited contract extension, but according to the Wall Street Journal, that extension has been rescinded.
The University of Michigan has rescinded a new contract offer for head football coach Jim Harbaugh in the wake of a sign-stealing scandal that has rocked one of the favorites to play for college football’s national championship, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The move is the first sign that the school may be hesitant about its future relationship with the famed coach who revived its football program and is frequently cited as a candidate for jobs in the National Football League. Harbaugh’s pay had been cut during the pandemic, but he was given a new contract just last year after bringing the team back to national prominence.
The Wolverines’ title chase this year put him in line for another raise. Michigan recently had made an offer that would have made Harbaugh the highest-paid coach in the Big Ten, before the school pulled it once the sign-stealing allegations rocked the school, the person said.
While this might seem like news, it appears to be the same holding pattern that Michigan football and Harbaugh have been in since “burgergate” came to light in July. There had been indications the athletic department was waiting until there was some clarification from the NCAA, which led to the program self-imposing a three-game suspension. The same method likely applies here.
For now, Harbaugh is under a multiyear contract. However, it’s not nearly as lucrative as the deals for some of his contemporaries in the conference. Neither is it commensurate with his performance the last two-and-a-half years.
