Great Michigan Daily Summary of Harbaugh's Contract Extension
This is hands down the best article I've read about Harbaugh's contract extension drama and how Warde Manuel isn't solely to blame.
What a great summation of a negotiation that has put the program in a less than ideal situation. FWIW, I'm all for Harbaugh staying, but he's got to want it too!
January 22nd, 2024 at 2:50 PM ^
The bottom line is that Harbaugh's #1 choice is an NFL job with specific conditions and nobody knows if any owner will give him this, so we wait. It's not about Warde or a clause for arbitration. Michigan want's Harbaugh and Michigan is Harbaugh's #2 choice (behind the perfect NFL job).
January 22nd, 2024 at 3:01 PM ^
Maybe Jim’s #1 choice is a U of M that supports him against punishment without due process. Jim’s reputation took a bit hit for cheeseburgers and Connor Stalions and yet we honestly don’t know if he himself did anything wrong. U of M as personified by Warde just buckled and let Jim take the heat. My reading of his contract demands is that he is looking to prevent that from happening again. I don’t know what his #1 choice really is, but I would be doing exactly what he is doing if I were in his shoes, considering the university’s reactions to the “scandals” of the past year.
January 22nd, 2024 at 3:38 PM ^
Regardless of all that, he can't win a super bowl at Michigan. I think that's the biggest thing. I have a hard time believing that anything Michigan can offer in terms of money or protection against the NCAA can really overcome the "we're not in the NFL" problem. BUT, Jim also has enough experience with bad NFL owners and GMs to know that there's NFL jobs that are somehow worse than continuing to tolerate Warde and the NCAA.
January 22nd, 2024 at 3:40 PM ^
The Daily article gets a lot of things wrong. Instead of taking a position of “they are working to iron out some difficulties brought on by the NCAA “prosecutor, judge, and jury” authority, the Daily author instead tried to defend Warde by blaming Jim. That shows a complete lack of knowledge and research. Clearly the author has never negotiated a major contract and knows nothing about how accountability needs to align with authority/ability to perform duties in employment contracts (or in any contract).
Sonny Jim has the right take. Jim was pretty much cleared of doing anything wrong. Yet the NCAA can hold him accountable for a rogue employee (stallions) or because they “believe” he wasn’t forthcoming about the cheeseburger. No one should sign a contract where you can be terminated without pay and your livelihood put on hold for things that are completely out of your control. A three person independent panel is the perfect solution. Unfortunately Michigan could get caught in the middle and owe Jim some money if the NCAA does something unfair. But it is Michigan’s role to take on that risk if they want to retain Jim. They are also the party that can sue the NCAA and defend Jim.
And usually, if the NCAA did this and Jim then had to leave anyway, the way these contracts usually work is that if Jim is owed 5 years of income, those earnings are negotiated to be offset by any future coaching earnings. And unlike Jimbo, Jim is not just going to sit on a couch somewhere and watch football. So in effect if Michigan agreed to these terms, and also dropped their ridiculous employment contract demand that Jim is not allowed to listen to alternative employment opportunities, there is room here where reasonable minds could agree.
January 22nd, 2024 at 3:57 PM ^
Clearly an LSA student writing for the Michigan Daily has never negotiated a major contract or an employment contract.
I'd also state fact in that Jim has in no way been cleared of doing anything wrong...there are still NCAA investigations that are ongoing and the outcome of those investigations are nebulous at best.
Warde certainly has some blame for this dragging out, and can without a doubt protect Michigan by using offset clauses, accommodate a review panel, etc.
The point that's being made in this article is that the blame isn't ALL on Warde, like him or not. I love Jim, but his he's looking over his shoulder at the hotter girl in the NFL and that's been omnipresent for quite a few years.
January 22nd, 2024 at 4:19 PM ^
Everyone has gone through a phase where we think we want the hotter girl...it's on Michigan to change Jim's mind. Let's focus on what we can offer not what we can't.
It's a sales job that must be closed on. I don't care what anyone says money is the most powerful motivator of all... remember what John said "Jim will do what's best for his fam". Yes, Jim personally doesn't care about money but when he sits down with his family the the thought of his kids, kids, kids, being set for life will have a massive impact.
If Michigan is worried about protections on 50 or 60 mill which is entirely possible then we are doomed as Jim's worth triple that IMO. If we are 7-5, 5 years from now or resemble the basketball program then how much will we have lost?
January 22nd, 2024 at 7:07 PM ^
I agree he’s worth every penny but don’t think he needs to be concerned about his kids financial futures as a major deciding factor either.
From what I can tell he’s made about $100MM since his first Stanford contract, not including any leftover NFL money/pension, Dockers, Lululemon, etc. and M is offering another $125MM.
$225MM/7 kids is north of $33MM each, even millions more on this contract is a small marginal difference for his family in the big picture.
January 24th, 2024 at 2:28 AM ^
If Jim were to get fired from Michigan next year for cause due to some sham NCAA ruling, he would seek employment as an NFL head coach, just like Pete Carroll did.
There is no need for an indemnity clause or 3 person panel in his contract. He will always have the NFL as an option. He’s not forced to work at Michigan or retire.
This is really all about Jim and his desire to get the exact work conditions he wants in the NFL. That’s easier to negotiate when he has a job at Michigan in his back pocket waiting.
The real question is how many more years do you want Warde, Santa, and the regents to allow Michigan’s football program to be put in this position?
January 22nd, 2024 at 4:35 PM ^
I'd argue that Warde has an anchor around his neck, which is the institution that is the University of Michigan. It's not him vs. Jim. It's him/the Regents/the donors/the lawyers/Santa Ono. Each one of those people/bodies has his own agenda or criteria that is used to evaluate the situation. Everyone isn't coming from the same place. Yes, I would say the vast majority want Harbaugh to sign the contract. But not at any cost to the university. Warde has to balance all of that, and still try to stay on Jim's good side.
January 22nd, 2024 at 4:56 PM ^
Except that he is not on Jim's good side and hasn't been for a long time. The trust simply isn't there and as long as Warde is still buddies with Jim Stapleton, the guy who is out to get Jim H, the situation seems hopeless to me.
January 22nd, 2024 at 5:17 PM ^
For UM to get lost in the details for this extension is just so pure Michigan. He may still wind up here, but don’t let anyone say that the lawyers, and accountants, and the pearl clutchers made it easy. This is how the negotiations should have gone: Ask Harbaugh what he wants, and give it to him. He’s a little weird, but he is nothing if not fair to everyone involved in everything he does, and nobody in the history of the college football playoffs has ever done more with less.
January 22nd, 2024 at 5:52 PM ^
U of M reputation is more important than Harbaugh, more important than football, and more important than the existence of the Athletic Department.
January 23rd, 2024 at 11:25 AM ^
OK, I don't disagree, but specifically how is that relevant to this discussion?
January 23rd, 2024 at 8:59 AM ^
Would Harbaugh be flirting with the NFL the last several seasons if he hadn't had his deal reworked after 2020?
January 23rd, 2024 at 11:24 AM ^
We'll never know, but it is at least. a fair question.
January 22nd, 2024 at 4:01 PM ^
It's an opinion column, just because you disagree with it doesn't mean the author "has a complete lack of knowledge" and "knows nothing" about contract negotiations. We can disagree respectfully without being so pejorative to the student writers at the Daily.
No one should sign a contract where you can be terminated without pay and your livelihood put on hold for things that are completely out of your control.
That's a fair take, but the exact same can be said for the Michigan admin. They are bound to act in the best interest of the University, not Jim and not the fans. They simply cannot sign a contract that forces them to pay up to $100 million to Harbaugh if the NCAA decides to use the institutional control clause to slap Harbaugh with a show-cause.
A three person independent panel is the perfect solution.
Based on what's been reported, the arbitration panel is a separate issue from the immunity issue. The immunity clause is about what Harbaugh can be terminated for for-cause; the arbitration panel is about who would terminate Jim for-cause. The arbitration panel doesn't alleviate the unreasonableness of the immunity demand.
And usually, if the NCAA did this and Jim then had to leave anyway, the way these contracts usually work is that if Jim is owed 5 years of income, those earnings are negotiated to be offset by any future coaching earnings. And unlike Jimbo, Jim is not just going to sit on a couch somewhere and watch football.
There has been no reporting to indicate whether the contract would be structured like this, but even assuming that it is, this still exposes the University to an unacceptable level of risk. There cannot be any world in which the University possibly has to pay Jim his full contract if the NCAA gives him a show cause. Reliance on NFL teams to offer Jim other opportunities -- and on Jim to take those opportunities -- is not acceptable.
I think Harbaugh's team knows the University will never agree to immunity. Demanding it is just a stalling technique to allow Harbaugh to evaluate his NFL options.
January 22nd, 2024 at 4:58 PM ^
And this where we differ, I do not think it is an unacceptable level of risk. As has been pointed out it can be structured so that it isn't, if the will is there.
January 22nd, 2024 at 4:43 PM ^
Harbaugh has a perfectly legitimate reason to legally protect himself from the NCAA's roulette of random punishments. Any agent/contract lawyer would be incompetent if they weren't advocating for their client to have built in protections from a rogue, independent authority that hands out punishments in no rational manner.
That all being said, Harbaugh said last year he was done with the NFL stuff. Then he said he'd coach at Michigan as long as they'd have him. That's clearly not the case. Leaks have come out about Warde and whatnot, but nothing straight up just saying he's annoyed with the NCAA and it's not worth staying at Michigan if he has to deal with it.
He has issues with Warde and doesn't want him to have singular authority to fire him if the NCAA decides the recruiting stuff if beyond the pale? Again, fair. But dealing with this in the manner that he has, shouldn't lead anyone to believe Harbaugh isn't playing a role in this.
If he wants to leave, sure I have no problem with that and he has earned the right to go out in a blaze of glory. But he's not doing this in a manner that isn't kind of annoying.
January 22nd, 2024 at 5:29 PM ^
What about from a noir, independent authority that hands out punishments in no rational manner?
IYKYK
January 22nd, 2024 at 4:48 PM ^
Harbaugh has been flirting with the NFL for at least 3 years straight now and 2 of those were before any NCAA issues were afoot. He's had numerous opportunities to sign long term contracts for tons of money and sworn off the NFL and he hasn't taken them. There's a reason for that.
And save me this "his livelihood" argument. It's pretty clear that UM will fight for Harbaugh to a degree well beyond what they usually do, and he's got champions for him all the way up to Santa Ono. If he got fired for the NCAA investigations it would be because of damning evidence that I'm sure a three-member arbitration panel would also find egregious. Warde Manuel alone isn't going to want to fire the guy who won UM a title. If anything, Warde's disposed to retaining guys when he shouldn't.
Warde isn't a great AD but people defending Harbaugh's bullshit in year 3 are just doing so because they like that he's a winner. And that's fine, but Harbaugh shouldn't get to skate on the fact he's made this into year 3 of this circus.
January 22nd, 2024 at 7:17 PM ^
I can’t respond to everything in your and others posts. Many are all good points. But here are two examples where his requests could be fair game:
1) The shenanigans of the NCAA this year and uncertainty regarding the outcomes and their impact on his ability to coach next year are more than enough reason for Jim to be willing to consider other alternatives. Absolutely no one can use that interest to suggest he went back on his word or he definitely prefers the NFL. Had the NCAA issues not come up I bet he would have signed long ago.
2) Jim is rightly concerned about arbitrary and seemingly unjustified unilateral decisions from bodies like the NCAA. Jim, on the other hand, has previous history of doing business on a handshake and negotiating his original M deal (iirc). That former approach is common for people who are honorable and fair and believe both sides intend to be fair. That POV is true until the first time they are burned. (There are certainly those on the other end of the spectrum that plan to screw you w/o a contract and not pay you). Jim can’t negotiate a different NCAA structure. But he can require that a fair and unbiased party determine the outcomes of his employment contract. And even if he trusts Warde and Santa, those contracts have to be negotiated assuming that the AD and President may change. As you stated, a panel, Warde, and the NCAA would likely agree if something damning came up. But if it’s not at all damming and the NCAA does something because they can, the only true protection is the independent panel. Jim has no idea who, now or in the future and who at Michigan gets a say.
January 22nd, 2024 at 10:19 PM ^
1) The shenanigans of the NCAA this year and uncertainty regarding the outcomes and their impact on his ability to coach next year are more than enough reason for Jim to be willing to consider other alternatives. Absolutely no one can use that interest to suggest he went back on his word or he definitely prefers the NFL. Had the NCAA issues not come up I bet he would have signed long ago.
Sure, but he's also had opportunities to re-sign with UM and he hasn't. After 2021 he interviewed with the Vikings, basically flew out there and told people he was taking the job, and then when it wasn't offered he came back and said he was definitely done chasing NFL jobs. That was until 2022, when he interviewed with the Broncos and possibly the Panthers...and then pledged again not to go looking for an NFL gig. He's signed through 2026 and UM would undoubtedly have given him a massive extension if he wanted one last off-season. But he wanted to keep his options open and so he didn't sign, and then this NCAA bullshit gave him more cover. So no, he's had 2 years to sign that extension and stop looking for NFL jobs after pledging he definitely wasn't looking anymore and he hasn't done so. That's a choice, not some cosmic forces working against him.
As for the fear of some tribunal, Michigan sued the Big 10 mid-season to defend Jim Harbaugh from any punishment. They are going to go to bat for him, and any of these manufactured fears about them turning their back on him barring something egregious is silly and simply a smokescreen to justify Harbaugh's continued resistance to signing an extension. Also, the NCAA has no control over Harbaugh's employment with UM; that contract is between Michigan and Harbaugh. The NCAA can suspend him for some timeframe and fine the University but that's basically it, and even then both Harbaugh and UM can sue the NCAA and my guess is the NCAA would lose because they've lost basically every meaningful case they've had for years now. So no, I reject the idea Harbaugh is scared about how he'd be treated by UM - he has AMPLE evidence they've be on his side. But fans and UM also have AMPLE evidence that he wants a shot at an NFL job.
January 23rd, 2024 at 5:01 PM ^
So you are saying that OSU, the NCAA, and the Big Ten are going to get exactly what they want?
January 22nd, 2024 at 8:55 PM ^
The only offer he got in the past 3 years was the Vikings and the minority owner nixed it at the last minute. The other years, he never got an offer.
January 22nd, 2024 at 10:06 PM ^
I'm talking about offers from UM for a ton of money and time with the understanding that it means he needs to stop nakedly going after NFL jobs, yet every offseason he keeps going on interviews.
January 22nd, 2024 at 4:52 PM ^
Spot on BoFan.
January 22nd, 2024 at 5:32 PM ^
You got a lot of things wrong there - everyday people sign contracts where they could be fired for things outside their control. Literally everyday. Jim is looking for protection nobody else in the coaching profession gets.
Having annual public flirtation with the NFL is not in the best interest of Michigan football and it’s not strange for the university to try to limit that. Contracts have non competes all the time. Your criticism of the article is hollow
January 22nd, 2024 at 7:19 PM ^
Not if you know what to look for, have a good lawyer, and it’s an executive package. Everyone else is at will.
January 22nd, 2024 at 3:43 PM ^
For the vast majority of men, if their employer did to them what Warde did to Jim, they would have been gone a long time ago.
Jim loves Michigan, loves his staff, loves his athletes, loves college football.
He doesn't just want a contract. He wants a contract that says, "we love you too." He gave them the terms of what that would look like. It'll be moot anyway in a couple weeks. He'll probably sign a contract, and maybe it will even have some provisions in it that show him some love.
But it's already too late for Warde to seize the opportunity to give the man his due in a way that communicates that.
I know it looks and feels good to take a via media position. And, yes, Harbaugh could've signed anyway (if there was even a contract offered—as far as we know, there hasn't even been one offered, and that is 100% Warde!!). But, I just can't get into the spirit of the article or the OP.
Maybe he bears some fault for not swallowing his pride and taking whatever they offer. But a pride-less Jim who doesn't care if he's loved would be no Jim at all.
January 22nd, 2024 at 6:33 PM ^
Concur. JH remains very disappointed in the way Michigan handled both these situations, and wants to know that they will fight instead of “rolling over”.
Asking for an arbitrator to review this is just being smart, it is a way to be sure Michigan will fight.
January 22nd, 2024 at 9:23 PM ^
Why would we fight tooth and nail, when he doesn't even know what the hell's going on inside his own program? Again. I wouldn't normally give two shits, these are minor violations. Yawners. But this "aww shucks, I didn't realize yet another person I hired is a pos, or a hacker(?), or whatever else" jig is tired. And kind of insulting to our collective intelligence.
Let's not forget why we had to drop the TRO, and have more egg on our faces, and put Moore in the toughest spot ever. That was all because Harbs didn't know some more stuff. Fresh info. It's damn near laughable for gim to keep playing dumb and then using it against us in negotiations.
Harbaugh has to know that. For that reason, I agree that these are stall tactics. The immunity demand, the "I need to be loved" malarkey, all that.
If he loves us so much, he should take this check, minus the immunity nonsense. Or leave already. We'll still love him. But dont try to gaslight us. He's not bigger then that University on the hill, idgaf what his name is.
January 22nd, 2024 at 9:09 PM ^
Given that Jim looked for an NFL job last year, it shows his true preference, which is understandable. A perfect NFL job (great owner and full control) is far better than any NCAA job. Every NCAA coach with the confidence that he can do the job at the NFL level will take the NFL job in a second. Jim is unique because he knows he can do the job, and many people associated with the NFL agree.
If he believed he could do it, Ryan Day would take the perfect NFL job in less than one second. Saban, Meyer, etc., tried it, and they sucked.
January 22nd, 2024 at 9:15 PM ^
Yeah, sure, keep pushing this Blame Warde narrative despite all evidence to the contrary. Harbaugh is buying time because he CLEARLY wants an NFL job. Harbaugh has no bigger supporter than Santa Ono, and if Santa has drawn a line in the sand -- specifically over the whole pre-immunity thing -- then maybe he's doing so with good reason. No organization is going to give an employee blanket immunity. Good lord, man.
January 23rd, 2024 at 1:16 PM ^
I believe that you believe...
January 22nd, 2024 at 3:09 PM ^
We don't know if that's the actually the case. U-M reportedly isn't acceding to all of his contract requests. Moreover, per Todd Anson (who seems to more or less serve as Harbaugh's mouthpiece), it seems like Harbaugh's relationship with Manuel (and possibly others at the University) has never been great and that's been a sticking point for him this whole time. He didn't seem too interested in going back to the pros until 2021, when his contract was slashed in half.
My concern is that Manuel - regardless of whatever he's trying to do now - may simply be incapable of repairing his relationship with Harbaugh.
January 22nd, 2024 at 4:45 PM ^
The NFL didn’t want him in 2021.
January 22nd, 2024 at 5:06 PM ^
To be fair we don't really know if the NFL wants him in 2024 yet either.
January 23rd, 2024 at 1:24 PM ^
To be fair, Harbaugh has a reputation of not being very easy to get along with - for whatever reason - and it apparently led to his separation from the 49ers.
I'm unaware of any other coach of any men's or women's sport at Michigan who has a strained relationship with Manuel.
If, indeed, Harbaugh's relationship with Manuel is problematic - and I am not sure that this is the case - then maybe the problem is not 100% with Warde.
January 23rd, 2024 at 5:04 PM ^
Michigan is picking Warde over Harbaugh, because Ono doesn’t have the power to fire him bc power is spread out among many people, some who don’t know anything about sports and support Warde. Otherwise, Warde would be gone, Harbaugh back, and then we can exact off the field revenge. Instead, Michigan craps all over itself yet again and OSU, Big Ten, and NCAA gets what it wants by Harbaugh leaving. This is a huge reflection point and it’s all going down due to Warde and weak leadership.
January 22nd, 2024 at 3:45 PM ^
I think he wants to come back to Michigan, but he's very worried about the NCAA coming down on him and therefore being out of a job. With that looming and Michigan unwilling to pony up 12m+ per annum if the NCAA does impose something, making Harbaugh unemployable at the NCAA level, I think his move to the NFL (EDIT: Not NFT - DOH!) is imminent...
January 22nd, 2024 at 3:55 PM ^
I think he should stay away from NFTs.
January 22nd, 2024 at 4:01 PM ^
Jim doesn't seem like a monkey jpeg kind of guy to me...but with all his quirks, he might have several burner metamask wallets. Ya never know!
January 22nd, 2024 at 5:07 PM ^
We don't know the bottom line. Harbaugh doesn't want to be held hostage by NCAA. The way B1G treated Harbaugh is a thorn and I don't know if I will be able to accept that suspension. The guy did it for the love of the university (I am extrapolating here). If UM sides with Harbaugh in every front he wants then I argue that UM might be his #1 job.
Whether it is regents or Warde or university covering themselves, we cannot say UM is not his #1 job. All of these are just opinions including this article. Harbaugh should do what is best for him. Getting suspended 6 games was awful. Daily should step back and talk about the ridiculousness of what Harbaugh was put through this season.
January 23rd, 2024 at 5:39 PM ^
January 22nd, 2024 at 7:09 PM ^
The mods could close this thread, with how perfectly stated this was.
January 22nd, 2024 at 2:52 PM ^
Despite what the title says, the first two paragraphs lay out a pretty good argument on why Warde should prob be out regardless of what happens with JH.
January 22nd, 2024 at 2:58 PM ^
Yeah, his shortcomings across the athletic department should be enough for the University to look elsewhere, but that'd be the case if Harbaugh was already resigned and there was no contract issue.
January 22nd, 2024 at 6:16 PM ^
The word resigned has two opposite meanings depending on how it is pronounced verbally.
January 23rd, 2024 at 9:35 AM ^
Missed the hyphen in that one.
January 22nd, 2024 at 3:13 PM ^
There was zero new information in this article. It was just the author's take that Manuel is not 100% to blame.