The University of Michigan reportedly did all it could to try to keep Jim Harbaugh in Ann Arbor.
After delivering on his promise of bringing a national title back to his alma mater (in the face of some controversy), Harbaugh bolted for the LA Chargers leaving behind a pretty significant contract offer that would’ve potentially paid him eight-figures per year.
Per an excerpt from John Talty’s new book, “The Price :”
On the other side, by this time, Michigan had offered to make Harbaugh the highest-paid coach in college football — a rollover five-year contract north of $11 million per year plus additional performance-based bonuses. In exchange, university lawyers had pressed for termination language that would protect the school in the event of an unforeseen turn in the sign-stealing investigation.
Harbaugh missed six games due to suspension in 2023 — three from a self-imposed recruiting violation and three stemming from the program’s sign-stealing scandal.
UM was reportedly looking for some type of protection if they were to bring Harbaugh back just in case something took a turn and they were forced to let him go.
“I think where the stumbling block came was trying to find the best way to handle any additional information from the second case we didn’t know at the time of [contract] signing,” Michigan AD Warde Manuel said in the book.
Now the Sherrone Moore era begins and Jim returns to the NFL in pursuit of the only thing missing from his trophy case: a Super Bowl.