Chargers News: Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan Exodus’s Financial Repercussions
According to a recent article by Kevin Skiver of USA Today, newly-signed Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh—who just won his first CFP championship with the University of Michigan Wolverines—will be reporting to his former program. “Harbaugh now pays Michigan a buyout for terminating his contract. Prior to moving to Ann Arbor, he was the coach of the San Francisco 49ers. For moving to the NFL, Michigan is owed $1.5 million, which is a comparatively tiny amount for an NFL team to oversee, according to Skiver.
According to reports, while the Wolverines attempted to retain their coach, Harbaugh was negotiating with Michigan to keep his buyout low. However, he finally joined the Chargers, making the discussion irrelevant.”
MI AD Warde Manuel talks candidly with Jim Harbaugh about their contract negotiations
ANN ARBOR, Michigan: Warde Manuel, the athletic director at Michigan, struggled on Saturday to determine the degree of intimacy between the team and Jim Harbaugh during their contract negotiations.
To tell the truth, he had no idea.
Manuel informed a group of reporters on Saturday that the two parties had been in regular communication before to Harbaugh’s decision on Wednesday to accept an offer from the Los Angeles Chargers to rejoin the NFL.
Manuel was forced to respond quickly to the situation, officially appointing Sherrone Moore as the program’s new head coach on Friday night.
“The board, myself, and the president—we gave it our all,” Manuel remarked after Moore’s initial news conference. In the end, Jim decided on a course of action for the next stage of his life. That’s okay with me. I’m pleased with our efforts.
Even though Michigan and Manuel mostly collaborated with Harbaugh’s agent and attorneys for the majority of the contract talks, rather than the coach directly, Manuel described them as constructive and conducted in good faith. Michigan offered Harbaugh a six-year extension worth about $12 million annually, making him one of the best paid college football coaches. However, there were apparently disagreements regarding the specifics of termination and the ongoing NCAA investigations into the team.
In order to become the next head coach of the Chargers, who undoubtedly paid Harbaugh more money year to get him out west, Harbaugh signed a five-year contract.
“I will be a huge fan of the Chargers, as I told him over the phone. I want you to succeed greatly and, in the end, I want to see you win a Super Bowl and hold up that trophy,” Manuel remarked. “I’m hoping it works out. However, I’m satisfied with our effort. The work we put in is still evident despite what I hear about what was going on on social media and some of the remarks and language individuals directed at me.
Manuel gave the Michigan Board of Regents, Santa Ono, the president of the institution, and Harbaugh’s attorneys high marks for how they handled the lengthy contract negotiations. Throughout the fall, there were intermittent discussions despite the NCAA intensifying its investigation into alleged Level II recruiting violations and a potential Level I violation involving Harbaugh. Additionally, rumors of a second investigation into in-person scouting began to surface.