Jim Harbaugh contract extension reports questioned by top analyst

Recently, it was reported that, amid the NCAA investigations, the scandals, the FBI investigation into Matt Weiss, and more, the University of Michigan football program is looking to extend head coach Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh, who is 33-3 since 2021 with two Big Ten titles and CFP appearances, will be heading into his 10th season with the Wolverines next fall, and while it was previously thought that the school was prepared to make him the highest-paid head coach in the Big Ten Conference, one of the top analysts in college football is not so sure about that.

Jim Harbaugh contract extension reports questioned by top analyst

Bruce Feldman, one of the top college football analysts in the nation, recently took some time to talk about Jim Harbaugh and Michigan football on the Rich Eisen Show.

“I don’t get how (the Michigan football program) would set up and go, ‘Okay, we have had all this drama with Jim Harbaugh, yeah — we know he’s a really good college coach. But we’re going to roll through with this with the NCAA and say, hey, we’re good with all this?’ To me, it doesn’t make that much sense from both sides of this,” Feldman said. “It really doesn’t. We’ve heard that (a new contract for Jim Harbaugh) is in the works — that would honestly surprise me.”

Could Harbaugh run to NFL following the 2023 season?

Bruce Feldman also made it a point to state that, regardless of his this year’s team ends up, Michigan football is losing a ton of talent and more heading into the first year of an 18-team Big Ten Conference with one of the toughest schedules in the country. Couple that with NCAA investigations and more, and Jim Harbaugh may not want to stick around, Felman insinuates.

“Whatever happens this year — if they (Michigan) win the national title, if they go to a playoff, it’s a borderline great team, we’re going to find out. But they’re probably not going to be anywhere near as good next year,” Feldman said. “You’ve still got the NCAA on you from the Covid dead period sanctions. Who knows how this thing (the sign-stealing scandal) is going to play out?

“There’s going to be a bunch of (NFL) jobs that I suspect will come open, or might come open, that Jim Harbaugh has some ties to already,” he added.

With new reports surfacing, Connor Stalions fired, and more, only time will tell how all of this will play out for Jim Harbaugh and Michigan football. While a new contract was reportedly in the works, nothing is set in stone and likely won’t be for quite some time, as things continue to unfold in Ann Arbor.

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