Jim Harbaugh Scores Fat Bonus, Despite Multiple Suspensions
Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh may not have been on the sidelines for his team’s 30-24 win over Ohio State, but he sure did benefit from it.
Harbaugh’s set to take advantage of a provision in his contract that gives him a massive $500,000 bonus for the Wolverines making the Big Ten Conference Championship game. That’s on top of his more than $7 million annual salary.
With Michigan 12-0 and the beneficiary of three consecutive wins over its arch rival, Harbaugh clearly deserves it. If he’d been on the field for more of it.
But Harbaugh started the season on a three-game suspension, missing the Wolverines games against UNLV, Bowling Green and Rutgers. And then he missed the final three games of the season against Penn State, Maryland and Ohio State too.
For coaching against Nebraska, Minnesota, Indiana, Michigan State and Purdue, he’ll get a $500,000 bonus for winning the Big Ten East. Must be nice.
EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN - Head coach Jim Harbaugh of the Michigan Wolverines exits the tunnel before a college football game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Michigan State Spartans at Spartan Stadium on October 21. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)
Jim Harbaugh Still Worth The Money For Michigan Fans
Despite the multiple suspensions in 2023, Harbaugh was still integral in building the Michigan program into what it is today.
Recruiting, developing, building up an outstanding coaching staff and ensuring that the system is sustainable enough to finish out an undefeated regular season, Harbaugh’s responsible for all of it. The win over Ohio State should also silence critics of the program after the sign-stealing scandal. Obviously there’s no way the Wolverines could get away with stealing signals at this point in the season.
Michigan will get Harbaugh back to coach the Big Ten Championship Game against the Iowa Hawkeyes next Saturday.
Maybe that matchup will be enough to finally get the over/under in an Iowa game out of the 20’s.