Michigan offers Harbaugh largest contract in college football
January 24th, 2024 at 12:53 PM ^
and apparently he is back in Ann Arbor today. Time to close the deal!
January 24th, 2024 at 12:59 PM ^
COACH, WHO’S GOT IT BETTER THAN YOU? NOOOOOOOOBODY!
January 24th, 2024 at 12:59 PM ^
To be fair, he lives there. Where else was he gonna go?
January 24th, 2024 at 1:02 PM ^
Hotels are so expensive.
January 24th, 2024 at 1:46 PM ^
When you have a Harbaugh-sized family they are.
January 24th, 2024 at 2:04 PM ^
"What do you mean the rooms aren't adjoining?"
January 24th, 2024 at 3:33 PM ^
"They are adjoining sir, they just span all four floors and our lobby."
January 24th, 2024 at 1:54 PM ^
I feel like he might be able to afford it
January 24th, 2024 at 1:02 PM ^
Belize?
January 24th, 2024 at 1:19 PM ^
Bolivia?
January 24th, 2024 at 1:25 PM ^
Schlemiel! Schlimazel! Hasenpfeffer Incorporated!
January 24th, 2024 at 1:05 PM ^
Maybe a sail boat trip.
January 24th, 2024 at 1:13 PM ^
Too soon.
January 24th, 2024 at 3:27 PM ^
Bravfuckingo. Almost spit out my water. Almost.
January 24th, 2024 at 1:09 PM ^
Is Bolivia an option?
Did he visit Disneyland with his entire family?
January 24th, 2024 at 2:07 PM ^
Hotels are nothing - Disney with a family his size might break the bank!
January 24th, 2024 at 4:10 PM ^
So a DIsney pass is the point of contention?
January 24th, 2024 at 1:25 PM ^
You'd never make it at ESPN, pal.
January 24th, 2024 at 1:25 PM ^
Jimbo left like a fart in the wind when he went to Texas A&M. Left the damn Xmas tree on the curb. But otherwise, good point.
January 24th, 2024 at 1:37 PM ^
I doubt he's going to stay in California and ask his wife and kids to do all the packing.
January 24th, 2024 at 1:52 PM ^
Im sure the Chargers will hire movers for him.
January 24th, 2024 at 4:49 PM ^
The fact that he left without any deal being announced seems to suggest that there was an impasse as Mike Florio says on Eisen's show:
January 24th, 2024 at 2:40 PM ^
Good point, but I still think it’s relevant. It’s like when the Alabama AD hired Saban from the Dolphins and flew to Miami to physically put him on the plane back to Alabama.
Or when Tua physically put Najee Harris on the plane to Alabama from the Army AA Game in Texas, instead of letting him go to Michigan.
Where you physically are matters and the fact that the Chargers ownership didn’t immediately hold a press conference announcing the hire is a big fucking deal!
January 24th, 2024 at 6:03 PM ^
There is probably a lot in play here. It's possible the Chargers also like other candidates they have interviewed and aren't 100% sold on Jim either. Everyone assumes Harbaugh is every NFL teams first choice and dream hire. There are a lot of good candidates out there and Jim is just one of them. It sounding like Michigan is now giving Jim a contract he may not be able to refuse and everyday that goes by that he's not going to the NFL makes it more likely he is UM's coach for a while more
January 24th, 2024 at 3:01 PM ^
Eggs were probably piling up, I'm sure the chickens missed him.
January 24th, 2024 at 1:22 PM ^
Well, that is where his family currently lives so...
January 24th, 2024 at 1:30 PM ^
According to the article, the Chargers organization isn't too keen on the GMs that Harbaugh favors. On the flip side, Michigan is taking steps to address Harbaugh's concerns, by saying Harbaugh couldn't be fired for cause based on current/ongoing investigations, but rather could see a pay cut due to an NCAA-mandated suspension.
Furthermore, the three-man panel provision apparently is something that would only kick in if Michigan fired him and he sued the university, which is considered a less controversial provision.
January 24th, 2024 at 1:40 PM ^
What you're referring to is essentially an arbitration clause, which is very common and shouldn't be controversial at all. My understanding is that (if the reports are to be believed, which is a nontrivial if), Harbaugh is demanding that the for cause decision itself be left to an independent panel. That effectively amounts to a requirement that the AD seek permission from a third party before firing its own worker for cause. That introduces some significant complications.
January 24th, 2024 at 1:59 PM ^
It’s still a reasonable clause. Harbaugh is the most important employee in the AD. Michigan shouldn’t want Harbaugh’s fate to rest in the hands of one employee who is hierarchically above him but institutionally below him. If Warde or any future AD thinks Harbaugh should go, they can make that case to said panel, without going rogue or having a turf war.
January 24th, 2024 at 3:12 PM ^
This implies the AD has complete say over whether or not Harbaugh would be fired in a for cause scenario.
Any decision to fire any coach for cause would certainly go through the legal team representing the university to ensure the decision would hold up in court. And also wouldn’t happen without the input of the AD’s bosses.
The AD may run the department, but they don’t really have complete free range to just do whatever they want.
January 24th, 2024 at 3:39 PM ^
Going through a legal team is not the same thing as not having the authority and expectation to make the decision. Either he does, in which case my point remains, or he doesn’t, in which case this should be an easy thing to give to Harbaugh. If this is an actual demand, Harbaugh must believe that the AD has the power on this stuff.
January 24th, 2024 at 4:13 PM ^
Does anyone believe that Warde, or a future AD, has the actual ability to fire Harbaugh without the agreement of the president or the regents. I certainly don't. He would be out of his job if he tried any move involving that much money on his own.
The AD may be the football coach's boss, but he doesn't have carte blanche to run his department however he wants. It's much too important to the school.
January 24th, 2024 at 5:56 PM ^
Exactly, and that was the point I was making above. There are too many hoops to jump through and too much money at stake when it comes to firing a contractual employee for one individual to make that decision without the approval of THEIR superiors.
Warde is in charge of running the department, but he doesn’t get to just do whatever he wants with no overhead. If Harbaugh were ever fired by any AD, it would be with the approval of the school president and the regents.
January 24th, 2024 at 5:59 PM ^
If the AD is going through the legal team for any decision, you really think they’re not getting the stamp of approval from their boss? Come on now. ADs run the department but they don’t get to make massive decisions like that without running it through their boss.
January 24th, 2024 at 2:06 PM ^
Balas is reporting that Wetzel's reporting is inaccurate, and that the three-man panel is only after he's fired by the AD.
January 24th, 2024 at 2:40 PM ^
I'll take Wetzel over Balas when it comes to reliability. I'd take a ham sandwich over Balas.
January 24th, 2024 at 3:21 PM ^
Ham sandwiches have been a reliable go-to for centuries now!
January 24th, 2024 at 4:51 PM ^
Ham sandwiches can be POTUS, I seen't it.
January 24th, 2024 at 2:58 PM ^
Wouldn't that then mean the AD is firing himself? Though officially Harbaugh's boss, he would in that situation have tried to fire him and lost.
January 24th, 2024 at 3:30 PM ^
Here is the clause from Kansas BB coach Bill Self's contract that, apparently, is being adapted for Michigan purposes:
F. Current Infractions Case: The parties agree that Athletics will not terminate Head Coach for cause due to any current infractions matter that involves conduct that occurred on or prior to the date of full execution of this Agreement. If Head Coach is suspended by the NCAA and/or the Big 12 Conference as a result of the pending NCAA infractions matter, Head Coach agreed that he and BCLT will forfeit 50% of earned Salary (Section 4 herein) and Professional Services Payment (section 5 herein) during the time of such suspension. For clarity purposes and by way of example, if Head Coach receives a one-month suspension, then for that month only Head Coach's salary and professional services payment would be reduced by 50% to $9,375 (salary under Section 4) and $114,583 (professional services under Section 5).
January 24th, 2024 at 2:00 PM ^
love you vlady, and you have amazing photoshop skills, but stop that!
January 24th, 2024 at 2:28 PM ^
Tell me you have points to burn without telling me you have points to burn...
January 24th, 2024 at 4:43 PM ^
Since we don't talk about points anyways.
January 24th, 2024 at 2:36 PM ^
How can people downvote this. I don't want that to be reality but that's some funny shit.
January 24th, 2024 at 1:49 PM ^
But is there a Bear Hug clause?
January 24th, 2024 at 2:37 PM ^
A Always
B Be
C Closing
Pay Attention Warde!
January 24th, 2024 at 3:18 PM ^
Wait - so they are negotiating through the press?!
Events in this drama really come at cha!
January 24th, 2024 at 4:44 PM ^
He's not, based on about 4 different reports.