The Oracle 2

December 24th, 2023 at 11:11 AM ^

From Harbaugh’s perspective, no matter what number you put on a Michigan contract, the terms would need to provide protection for him against the current NCAA witch hunts, instead of setting him up for a “for cause” termination if they come down hard on him. That being said, it’s been obvious for a long time that he’s going to keep his NFL options open this off season, no matter what Michigan offers him.

Joined: 02/25/2018

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smotheringD

December 24th, 2023 at 12:47 PM ^

And I don't begrudge him one bit.  Sure, selfishly, I would love him to be UM's coach until he retires.  He brought Michigan football back from the brink of perennial mediocrity.  Those were some dark, dark days.  BPONE was continuous.  I remember wondering if we'd ever get back to our former glory, as a football program.

Coach Jim did it.  Without compromising, without paying players up front.  He did it the right way, recruiting players who wanted to play for Michigan and developing them better than any other collegiate program.  Even when a majority was calling for him to be fired.

He's earned the right to do what he wants.  The Pro game is simpler because you don't have to personally recruit.  You get to choose who is on your team, the player doesn't choose you.  You're able to take a little time off to spend with your family.

Coach Jim is the ultimate competitor.  He's made it to the Super Bowl once and lost in the last minute to his brother.  I'm sure he wants to compete at that highest level again.

But perhaps he's fallen in love with the college game and the impact he can have on so many young men.

Coach Jim, do what you want.  I'm forever grateful and will cheer for you wherever you coach.

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Clarence Boddicker

December 24th, 2023 at 3:43 PM ^

The Pro game is simpler because you don't have to personally recruit.  You get to choose who is on your team, the player doesn't choose you.  You're able to take a little time off to spend with your family.

Yeah, these things aren't true at all. Unless you're a coach/GM, your GM decides who's on your team. At best, you as head coach have input into decisions; the GM is the decision-maker. Even if you are a coach/GM, the owner still holds sway as the signer of checks. Only in college football can a head coach be a tiny god.

Free agents choose teams and coaches. Free agents must be wined and dined. That's kinda like recruiting even if the numbers being courted aren't the same (fewer as an NFL HC).

As for the time off with family, Steve Spurrier thought this, was wrong, and failed miserably. NFL coaches routinely sleep in their offices. That job is more time-consuming, not less.

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smotheringD

December 24th, 2023 at 4:51 PM ^

Just to clarify, didn't mean to imply that the coach picks his players, but the team, the organization, the GM, the scouting department, coaches pick their players.  In college, the teams make their pitch, their "NIL" offer and the players decide.

The Pro game is indeed very competitive and coaches work long hours, especially during the season.  But the point is that there is a break before fall camp where coaches typically get some time off.

Joined: 09/15/2010

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Buy Bushwood

December 24th, 2023 at 12:46 PM ^

Okay, but how do you do that in the language of a contract?  Clearly he can't be immune to every conceivable transgression.  And even though I'm %99.99 sure Harbaugh isn't going to cum like Tuck, the University has to have some protection for its $125 million.  What if Harbaugh developed Frontotemporal dementia and started acting like a madman (which I saw a totally stable, brilliant billionaire do out of the blue at age 65 in my residency)?  You can't predict every possible thing in a contract.  Who could have predicted Cheese-Burger-Gate or Sign-gate, all in one season?  Much of this contract has to be built on trust that the gray areas are covered by good faith, and it appears to me that, in some nuanced way, full trust between Harbaugh and UM is lacking.  

Joined: 10/24/2020

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ERdocLSA2004

December 24th, 2023 at 12:54 PM ^

Maybe true.  That’s totally unreasonable if he’s requesting contract language that says he can never be fired for any reason.  This is more about him wanting to go to the NFL and making himself as attractive as possible to them (no big buyout)etc.  he isn’t signing anything until all NFL opportunities have been exhausted.  Unfortunately this not only hurts recruiting and portal options, it screws us royally if we have to conduct a coaching search in late January or February.  

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The Oracle 2

December 24th, 2023 at 1:43 PM ^

I doubt he’d be looking for a contract that says he can’t be fired for any reason, and no school should offer that to any employee. But I think he would want protection from whatever happens with the current/hamburger/Stalions investigations, especially since the NCAA and the Big 10 seem to have a target on his back. He would also want a very precise definition of “for cause” which exempts those two current investigations and limits that type of termination to only very serious transgressions.

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highlow

December 25th, 2023 at 1:19 PM ^

If I was negotiating for Michigan, I'd reject that for two reasons:

  1. The sign stealing incidents and breakfast at the Jug were both under Harbaugh.  They were in his program.  It was his responsibility to run a clean ship (even if that just means hiring people to do it, etc, I'm not saying he personally should play Mr. Compliance).  It's different if Harbaugh had no responsibility for that stuff.  I don't know if M could fire Harbaugh now for cause under his current contract, but it strikes me as at least plausible.  
  2. Even if we think it's all bullshit, should we still pay Harbaugh out if he gets show caused for a few years?  $10mm/yr while he hangs out in Baltimore?  If you can't work, you don't get paid.

Probably the resolution is that he can't be fired for cause for the known NCAA investigations provided that (a) he and the program have shared all info with M and its people and (b) any penalty is less than [X] (3 games?  1 year? Just a negotiated point).  

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Ringer19

December 26th, 2023 at 2:25 PM ^

"I called Warde and I asked him if he wanted me to be the head coach. And he said, 'Yes, 100 percent.' And I said, 'OK then. That's what I want to do,'"  Harbaugh told the Free Press late Thursday night. "And I told him, 'Warde, this will not be a reoccurring theme every year. This was a one time thing.'"

He later added: "I told Warde, 'From here on out, I'm working at the pleasure of the University of Michigan, because that's, in my heart, where I want to be."

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UM85

December 24th, 2023 at 11:25 AM ^

Where does $20M come from?  Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay, John Harbaugh are all in the $12M - $15M range. 

And why asinine?  UM wants him to stay.  They know their competition is the NFL.  So they want a contract provision that keeps him at Michigan.  That would be called, "smart."  It is similar thinking to having a large buy-out inserted in the contract so NFL suitors would be scared off.

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omahablue

December 24th, 2023 at 12:35 PM ^

I think the biggest competition is the witch Hunt from the NCAA and Big 10. Both institutions want Harbaugh gone. Harbaugh wants to know that Michigan will have his back and fight for him!

The problem is, Michigan has shown repeatedly in the past to lie belly up. Harbaugh knows this. He want some reassurance he is worth fighting for! Good for Jim.

And Michigan will be screwed if they don't fight for him. Harbaugh will keep Michigan competitive in this NIL recruiting landscape. I'm not sure too many other coaches will be able to do that.

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MGoOhNo

December 24th, 2023 at 7:31 PM ^

Yeah if you want him to forego NFL opportunities, you give him NFL $ and job security. 
 

$15M and for cause does not include any facts and circumstances relating to ongoing investigations.

Provide he can opt out for 1 or 2 identified teams for agreed buyout, $ but he must elect to pursue only during best time for UM in recruiting cycle (with advance notice provisions so UM not flat footed in coaching search) and he reports directly to Santa Ono. 

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Dailysportseditor

December 24th, 2023 at 2:29 PM ^

Actually, neither you nor anyone else not directly involved know anything about Harbaugh’s contract negotiations.  For all anybody knows, a contract extension (written modification of current contract) has already been signed.  It could contain a clause re the NFL or not.  It might contain a clause making the new contract effective on the day after the current football season ends, at which time it will be announced. Anything said about the matter by outsiders, including me, is pure speculation.

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kwallace23

December 25th, 2023 at 1:10 PM ^

All Harbaugh wants at Michigan is a boss who supports him and supports his team. But instead, his boss doesn’t even attend an end-of-year banquet to support the #1 team in the country. But Ono doesn’t even have the power to fire Warde, who has support from all the academics of course. So we’re stuck with him, which is a driving factor in Jim looking at the NFL. Fin. 

Joined: 03/20/2016

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1VaBlue1

December 24th, 2023 at 11:55 AM ^

"I'm sure it scales per year."

What scales?  This contract's yearly salary?  Well, it's $125M for 10 years.  Because this is MGoBlog, lets do the math!  125/10 = 12.5

So, we're talking about $12.5M/yr as the salary - which is what you looked at when verifying that he'd be tied with Tomlin for 5th largest salary.  There might be some sliding salary scale in this offer, but not with the average number we've been talking about - $12.5M/yr.  That isn't scaling anywhere...

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