Jim Harbaugh has reached an extension of his contract to remain the Michigan football coach through the 2025 season, sports director Warde Manuel announced Friday.
A source confirmed to ESPN that the new deal includes a lower base salary and many performance incentives. Harbaugh has one year left on his initial contract in Michigan, which paid the coach slightly more than $ 8 million in 2020.
“I still believe Jim is the right man to lead our program in the pursuit of Big Ten and CFP Championships,” Manuel said in a statement. “Our program has not reached a level that anyone expected this year, but I know that the setbacks will move the coaches, players and staff. Jim is a tireless worker and competitor. After the season we have a lot hours talking about what it would take for Jim to lead and get us back on track. ‘
Michigan and Harbaugh began discussing a new contract after the team’s regular season ended in November. Harbaugh has spent a few weeks in California over the past few weeks, but returned to Ann Arbor this week, a source said.
In a statement, Harbaugh thanked, among others, Manuel and University President Mark Schlissel.
“Over the past few weeks, Warde and I have had discussions that have been honest, open, informative and constructive to move our football program forward. Discussions that I look forward to over the coming months and years,” Harbaugh said. “We have a plan.
“There is work to be done and challenges to be addressed. These challenges are being addressed as we continue to strive for excellence in the classroom and field championships, a message I hope will be noted in the language of our agreed contract. word. “
The Wolverines ended the 2020 season at 2-4 and canceled their last three games due to COVID-19 concerns within the program.
Harbaugh, a former Michigan major, is 49-22 at school in six seasons and 34-16 in Big Ten’s game, but is by far his worst season on his shift. Michigan has won ten games and finished in the top-15 in three of its first four seasons, but has yet to beat rival Ohio State and has dropped four games on the right-hander.
Michigan fired defense coordinator Don Brown last month, and six other assistants have contracts that expire Sunday.
The school said in its release that Harbaugh is “evaluating and compiling its staff for the 2021 season.”
ESPN’s Dan Murphy contributed to this report.