Jim Harbaugh's decision to remain at Michigan includes an interesting detail that won't make a departure for the NFL financially prohibitive.
Following a dalliance with a return to the NFL, Harbaugh agreed to a new, five-year extension with Michigan this week that includes a base salary of over $7 million in 2022. More important, though, is his contract's structure as it pertains to leaving on his own accord.
An early exit from Michigan in the first year of his extension would mean Harbaugh would owe the university just $3 million. From there, the amount owed decreases to $2.25 million in 2023, $1.5 million in 2024 and just $750,000 in 2025. If Harbaugh wants to return to the NFL as a head coach, it won't cost much to buy his freedom to make such a leap.
The contract falls in line with that of at least one other major Power Five head coach: His rival, Ohio State's Ryan Day, who would have also owed Ohio State $3 million if he'd left the Buckeyes for another job on or before Jan. 31, 2022. The number has since fallen to $2.5 million, and decreases by an additional $500,000 with each year, per The Columbus Dispatch.
After rumors of a potential leap to the Chicago Bears, Day is still at Ohio State. Harbaugh's name was included in coaching searches to fill two NFL vacancies (Minnesota, Las Vegas), and he completed an interview with the Vikings before deciding to remain with the Wolverines. Harbaugh fell short of winning the Super Bowl while serving as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, and the pursuit of a Lombardi Trophy continued to pull at Harbaugh, according to the coach. When the Vikings expressed interest, "it was something I wanted to explore," Harbaugh explained, per CBS Sports.
Explore, he did, but ultimately nothing more than an interview came of it. Instead, Harbaugh returned to Michigan, where he received a boost in pay following his best season with the Wolverines, which included a Big Ten championship and the school's first-ever appearance in the College Football Playoff.
Should Harbaugh again get the itch to give the NFL another go, the price to bring him on board will amount to pennies to an NFL owner. Despite insisting his flirtation with the NFL was a "one-time thing," thanks to the structure of his current contract, the door on a return to the NFL will remain open for Harbaugh. Time will tell whether he chooses to again peek through it in the future.
