The tremendous success of the football program over the past three seasons has led many to push for a new contract that would keep Jim Harbaugh in Ann Arbor for the foreseeable future.
Michigan WolverinesIt’s been an incredible three years for Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan Wolverines.
After hitting a low point in 2020 when the program finished 2-4 and it looked like Harbaugh was on his way out, the Wolverines rebounded over the next three seasons by winning three straight against Ohio State and winning three consecutive Big Ten championships and three in a row. College Football Playoff appearances.
The tremendous success of the football program over the past three seasons has led many to push for a new contract that would keep Jim Harbaugh in Ann Arbor for the foreseeable future.
According to the latest report from Sports Illustrated’s Richard Johnson, Michigan appears to be poised to do just that… assuming Harbaugh avoids pursuing NFL opportunities.
Coverage of Harbaugh’s potential departure to the NFL has become an annual tradition that Michigan football fans are eager to support, but Harbaugh made it clear this offseason that he was thinking about it.
“It goes back to February 3, 2013, when the San Francisco team was just five yards, one play, away from winning the Super Bowl,” Harbaugh said. “And two years later, (I) left the 49ers to go to Michigan and sign a seven-year contract.
And those seven years were up, and I was wondering if this was the time or if there would be a time to go back and try to get it over with. And yes, I explored it. I make no apologies for looking into this.”
Although he chose to return to Michigan after interviewing for an NFL head coaching job, his relationship with the Big Ten Conference and the NCAA has led many to believe (again) that this could be his last year at Ann Arbor.
Har baugh began the season with a self-imposed three-game suspension for minor NCAA recruiting violations from 2020.
Harbaugh then missed the final three games of the regular season against Penn State, Maryland and Ohio State due to a Big Ten Conference suspension . around the controversy over signal theft.
Even if they miss a total of six games in the 2023 season, there’s a chance the NCAA could still impose additional sanctions for the signal-stealing issue — and that’s something that likely impacts Harbaugh’s decision-making.
Regardless, it is clear that the University of Michigan, its leadership, players and fans prefer Jim Harbaugh to remain head coach of the Wolverines for years to come.
