Jim Harbaugh has reached a contract extension to remain Michigan’s football coach for the 2025 season, athletic director Warde Manuel announced Friday.
A source confirmed to ESPN that the new deal includes a lower base salary and many performance incentives. Harbaugh had a year left on his original contract with Michigan, which paid the coach just over $ 8 million in 2020.
“I continue to believe that Jim is the right man to lead our program in pursuit of Big Ten and CFP championships,” Manuel said in a statement. “Our schedule didn’t reach the level anyone expected this year, but I know those setbacks will drive the coaches, players and staff forward. Jim is a tireless worker and competitor. After the season, we spent many hours talking about what. Jim needs to take charge and get us back on track. “
Michigan and Harbaugh began discussing a new contract after the team’s regular season ended in November. Harbaugh spent much of the last few weeks vacationing in California, but returned to Ann Arbor this week, a source said.
In a statement, Harbaugh thanked, among others, Manuel and University President Mark Schlissel.
“Over the past few weeks, Warde and I have had discussions that have been honest, open, insightful and constructive in moving our football program forward. Discussions that I would like to continue in the coming months and years,” said Harbaugh. ‘We have a plan.
“There is work to be done and challenges to be addressed. These challenges will be addressed as we continue to strive for excellence in the classroom and championships on the field, a message that I hope will be conveyed in the language of our agreed contract. . “
The Wolverines closed the 2020 season at 2-4 and scrapped their last three games due to concerns about COVID-19 within the schedule.
A former Michigan star strategist, Harbaugh is 49-22 in six seasons in school and 34-16 in Big Ten game, but is by far off his worst season at his alma mater. Michigan won 10 games and finished in the top 15 in three of its first four seasons, but has yet to beat rival Ohio State and dropped four straight bowl games.
Michigan fired defensive coordinator Don Brown last month and six other aides have contracts expiring on Sunday.
The school said in its release that Harbaugh was “in the process of evaluating and compiling its staff for the 2021 season.”
ESPN’s Dan Murphy contributed to this report.