After another offseason of entertaining head coaching jobs in the NFL, Jim Harbaugh says he's still committed to Michigan.
"I’m here as long as Michigan wants me here," Harbaugh said Thursday as the Wolverines open spring practice. "You would have had a story if I wasn’t here. But I’m here, and this is where I wanted to be."
After his most successful season at Michigan, including a perfect regular season record and second straight Big Ten title and College Football Playoff berth, Harbaugh interviewed for the Broncos head coaching vacancy and also spoke with the Panthers about theirs. Neither team ever made Harbaugh an offer, though the Broncos appeared to come close after flying to Michigan to grant Harbaugh a second interview in person.
Asked about his dalliance with the NFL, Harbaugh said, "Calls come in, calls are taken, with everybody in the program. And some calls you take, some you don’t."
So why take the Broncos call?
"Like I said," he reiterated, "you’d have a real story if I wasn’t right here doing exactly what I predicted I would be doing."
Harbaugh, 59, issued a statement in January amid the NFL rumors in which he said he expected to be "enthusiastically coaching Michigan in 2023." He will be. Beyond that is anyone's guess. He's a year removed from signing an extension with Michigan through 2026, but clearly has an eye on the NFL -- and the chance to win a Super Bowl -- and could be looking for a raise to stick around. Harbaugh's $7.05 million salary last season was 12th highest in college football.
Asked if he wants a new deal to stay at Michigan beyond the 2023 season, Harbaugh said he and athletic director Warde Manuel "don’t even talk about that."
"I just ask, ‘Hey, do you want me here at Michigan?’ after every season. After every season anywhere I’ve ever been, that’s a conversation I want to have: ‘Do you still think I’m the best person to do this job?’ And then I want to know what the rest of the administration thinks, what the players think, what the other coaches think and what the fanbase thinks," Harbaugh said.
After having those conversations at the end of last season, Harbaugh said the feedback he received in January was that "it's as good as it's ever been, from players, coaches, Warde, administration, president and from the fan base. So here we go, let’s go to 2023 and have at it."
Asked specifically about his relationship with Manuel, which seemed to sour this offseason when Harbaugh re-engaged with the NFL after telling Manuel that last year's dance with the Vikings was a "one time thing" and then when he started reporting publicly to new Michigan president Santa Ono, Harbaugh said, "It's a great relationship."
"It’s one of those narratives that seemed to be out there, but I got a great relationship with Warde and he’s been great for our athletic department and our university," Harbaugh said. "Nothing but good. I trust Warde, he trusts me."
Anyway you slice it, it was a troubling offseason for Harbaugh's program. On top of the uncertainty surrounding his own future, Michigan came under NCAA investigation for alleged violations that could result in a suspension for Harbaugh next season and co-offensive coordinator Matt Weiss was fired after committing computer access crimes inside Schembechler Hall. Star defensive lineman and potential first-round draft pick Mazi Smith also pled guilty to a misdemeanor gun charge he received in December.
But Harbaugh feels good about where the program stands entering his ninth season at the helm.
"Compare us to perfect and we’re going to come up short in the major areas," he said. "Compare us to any other program and I think you’re going to see that it doesn’t get any better. You talk about graduating players, up to perfect, as close as you can possibly be. You talk about doing things with integrity, on the field, off the field, players, coaches, staff, everybody within this football program, about as close as you can get to perfection. Winning games, all the same. It’s not perfect, 13-1 is not perfect. And that’s what we keep striving for. We keep chasing that perfection."
Whether or not they catch it, questions will persist about Harbaugh and Michigan next season, including the biggest one he can't seem to answer: Will he be here past 2023?
"That’s something you assess," Harbaugh said. "After every season, that’s the thing I will do."
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