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Will Jim Harbaugh be the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines in 2024?
The answer to that question seems to change daily as Harbaugh and the Wolverines face an ongoing NCAA investigation into allegations of sign stealing.
And Tuesday was no different.
Michigan Speedily Moving Forward With Jim Harbaugh Contract Talks
Chris Balas of On3 Sports reports that not only are Harbaugh and Michigan still locked into contract talks, but that the talks have recently sped up in rapid fashion.
“The U-M administration and others met Sunday morning to discuss the NCAA’s findings and determine how to proceed. While rumors spread that it was about a potential Harbaugh “resignation” or perhaps even suspension, it was just the opposite,” Balas writes. “Based on what they were presented, most were in favor of moving forward with the extension. By Monday morning, it appeared to be a lock, with details expected to be finalized Tuesday. There was some consternation among some Monday night, but several sources indicate the Board of Regents was “unanimous” in its support of the extension.”
That’s in stark contract to an earlier Wall Street Journal report claiming Harbaugh’s contract offer had been rescinded amid the investigation.
Harbaugh stated that he “wouldn’t say that’s accurate” when asked about the WSJ report on Monday.
Balas states that the new deal would make Harbaugh the highest-paid coach in the Big Ten. But it will also include language regarding potential NCAA violations.
That caveat could be key to a deal getting done swiftly.
“We’re told they came to a unanimous decision this morning to extend Harbaugh as soon as possible, with President Santa Ono asking that it be done ‘immediately,'” Balas states.
Harbaugh is undeniably a hot commodity.
But continuous NCAA run-ins had many expecting him to return to the NFL in 2024.
Now it appears that may not be the case after all.