Jim Harbaugh Reset
Since the 2020 season ended, honestly not much has happened. Don Brown has been fired and hired by Arizona, and staffer Mark Taurisani has left U-M to join Bret Bielema at Illinois. Other than that, it's been pretty quiet.
Things should be happening, but they're simply not. Michigan hasn't played a football game in 40 days, yet that apparently hasn't been enough time for Jim Harbaugh to make a decision and set his sights on the 2021 season. Here's a complete reset of everything that's happened...or didn't.
• Michigan played their last game Nov. 28 and then cancelled the final three matchups after that against Maryland, Ohio State and Iowa
• Michigan also then decided to not play in a bowl game with COVID and injury issues on the heels of a 2-4 season
• When athletic director Warde Manuel met with the media to discuss the cancellation of the Ohio State game, he indicated that he would meet with Jim Harbaugh at the end of the 2020 season, which technically happened on Dec. 19, the day U-M was slated to play Iowa in the ninth and final game of the season.
• We fully believe that that meeting did take place and that during that meeting, a contract extension was given to Harbaugh
• Reports from John U. Bacon and others indicate that the key details of the offer included a lower base salary and lower buyout
• Though the offer was reportedly made between 15-19 days ago, Harbaugh has yet to sign it
• As we first reported, the delay on Harbaugh’s part has everything to do with him waiting to see if an NFL job will be offered to him
• NFL head coaching jobs that have been linked to Harbaugh have recently become available, mainly the Los Angeles Chargers and New York Jets
• Several Michigan assistant coaching contracts expire on Monday, including defensive line coach Shaun Nua, cornerbacks coach Mike Zordich, running backs coach Jay Harbaugh, offensive line coach Ed Warinner, quarterbacks coach Ben McDaniels and tight ends coach Sherrone Moore
• Brown has already been fired and it's widely accepted that McDaniels and safeties coach Bob Shoop will both move on from U-M as well
• Harbaugh and a few assistants were back inside Schembechler Hall on Tuesday, but obviously nothing out of the norm happened, nor was anything announced and still no extension has been signed
• We also know that some portion of the team has not heard one word from Harbaugh or their position coaches since the season ended. Communication has been sorely lacking as Harbaugh tries to figure this out, meanwhile, high-profile recruits and transfer portal targets are nearing or making decisions
• Some still believe that Harbaugh's desire is to re-sign with Michigan despite several predicted and now passed dates. We at Wolverine Digest have been told that his future at Michigan is completely dependent on the availability of an NFL job and some associated with the program see it that way as well
• As of right now, there are no indications that this is any closer to being done than it was several weeks ago, other than the fact that the NFL season is over and interviews are taking place
