Despite reports to the contrary, the Michigan Wolverines and Jim Harbaugh appear to be close to extending their contract.
The Michigan Wolverines and Jim Harbaugh have certainly made headlines in recent weeks. Many fans are wondering if Harbaugh’s tenure at Michigan will end because of the alleged sign-stealing scandal.
According to the most recent reports, this is not the case. Harbaugh and the University of Michigan appear to be close to reaching an agreement on a contract extension.
Jim Harbaugh Contract Talks
There had been reports that Harbaugh’s contract extension offer had been rescinded by the University of Michigan. Harbaugh, on the other hand, has publicly stated that those reports were false.
Furthermore, a Michigan Wolverines spokesperson stated that the school would not comment on employment contracts until they were completed.
Outside of calling previous contract reports inaccurate, Harbaugh has been equally tight-lipped about this. He’d rather concentrate on Saturday’s game against Purdue.
According to Chris Balas of the Wolverine, the University of Michigan administration unanimously supports extending Harbaugh’s contract.
Harbaugh’s Michigan Wolverines Football Success
There is no denying that Harbaugh has guided the football program at Michigan in the right direction during his tenure. This is his ninth season as Michigan’s head coach, and the program has grown significantly during that time.
Michigan has made the College Football Playoff the last two seasons, to state the obvious. Plus, after losing to Ohio State for the first six years of Harbaugh’s tenure, they finally beat them the last two seasons.
Since Harbaugh’s arrival, the Michigan Wolverines have won 72 games in seven full seasons (2020 not included). After the 2023 season, they could have as many as 85 total wins in full seasons.
Scandal of Sign-Stealing
So, what is preventing the Michigan Wolverines and Jim Harbaugh from finalizing this contract extension? The alleged sign-stealing scandal is the answer. The NCAA is currently investigating these claims to determine their veracity.
It all started with information released by a private firm. Since then, it has arguably spiraled, with more and more details coming out connecting the dots in this story.
Because of all of this scrutiny, Harbaugh’s new contract includes language that addresses the NCAA investigation.
TCU Specifics
More details have recently emerged, raising concerns about this sign-stealing. The Horned Frogs changed their signs before last year’s semi-final game against the Michigan Wolverines, according to an anonymous TCU coach.
Furthermore, that coach claims to have used their old signs as fake ones to deceive Michigan, and that Michigan had been stealing signs since 2021.
If this report is true, it certainly worked flawlessly. TCU won the national championship after scoring 51 points in that game.
Ezoic
Furthermore, a closer look at the box score reveals that TCU jumped out to a commanding 14-0 lead in the first quarter and a 21-6 lead at halftime.
The NCAA sign-stealing investigation is still ongoing. We’ll have to see if it has any effect on Harbaugh’s contract extension. However, it appears to have little impact outside of additional language about the investigation in Harbaugh’s new contract.
