Brandon Staley is OUT as the head football coach of the Los Angeles Chargers and Jim Harbaugh watch is officially ON! The 59-year-old head coach of Michigan has been rumored for multiple NFL jobs over the last few years. This is not the exception.
Could Jim Harbaugh replace Brandon Staley?
In fact, it has been reported that Harbaugh loves Justin Herbert. An escape from the collegiate ranks may also be interesting now more than ever as the Wolverines continue to deal with the fallout from the massive sign-stealing scandal.
Perhaps most importantly, Harbaugh has refused to pledge his allegiance to Michigan in writing. He isn’t going anywhere before the College Football Playoff, obviously, but the university is trying to lock him in with a unique long-term deal.
Jim Harbaugh has been presented with a draft of a new contract. It would pay him about $11 million per year, not including performance-based incentives.
The pen has yet to hit the paper. Nothing is expected to get done soon. Especially after Staley’s ouster.
There is rumored language in the proposed deal that would prevent Harbaugh from leaving for the NFL at any point in the near future. That is not confirmed, though may be a deterrent if true.
Nothing is going to get done (probably) until all NFL jobs are filled.
Another factor involved in the whole Harbaugh to NFL chatter is language in his current contract regarding termination-for-cause. While not unusual at all, there is a lot of provisional wording to protect the university.
Harbaugh’s current deal allows the Wolverines to fire him if the NCAA finds him guilty of a Level I or Level II violation. Michigan also provided itself with a pretty loose loophole to get out of the contract if Harbaugh does not “fulfill his duties” or “damages the reputation” of the university.
The odds of Harbaugh signing a new contract that could potentially be voided without warning at any point of time amid all of the ongoing scandals are slim. Especially when he could wait and see what happens with the NFL coaching carousel first. Staley’s ouster is the first domino to fall.
Things could change if Harbaugh does not get a job in the pros. Either way, nothing is going to happen between now and the College Football Playoff. The speculation has just begun!