In one fell swoop, Jim Harbaugh went from the highest-paid coach in the Big Ten to one of the lowest-paid. After Michigan restructured his contract last offseason on the heels of a 2-4 season, Harbaugh's annual salary fell from about $8 million to about $4 million, ahead of only Rutgers' Greg Schiano and Maryland's Mike Locksley in the Big Ten.
Harbaugh's reaction to this public humbling?
"I reacted, no big deal," Harbaugh said Thursday as he prepares to lead No. 2 Michigan into the Orange Bowl against No. 3 Georgia. "Attacking each day with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind, as always. Didn’t really mean anything to me. It’s just money -- big deal."
By hitting numerous incentives this season, Harbaugh's already made a good chunk of that money back -- which he's since redirected to employees of the Michigan athletic department affected by COVID-19 pay cuts. So when he says 'it's just money,' Harbaugh means it. (And easier to say that given the money in the bank.)
"It’s enjoyable to be working on football," Harbaugh said. "It can be a practice days and you're just out there on the field, under the sky, on the turf, it’s a wonderful thing. You asked me about it before, I would do it for free. I would do this job for free. Just love it. Whether it’s the first day, first game or the position we’re in now, which we’re very happy about, I just enjoy the ride the whole time."
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Harbaugh has accrued $2.275 million in bonus money this season for winning the Big Ten and being named National Coach of the Year, on top of taking Michigan to the Big Ten championship game, a New Year's Six bowl and the College Football Playoff. He can earn another $1 million if Michigan wins the national championship.
He announced earlier this month that he's donating all of his bonus money to those in the U-M athletic department who took pay cuts in 2020. He said Thursday that some of that money has already been distributed and "people have been very appreciative."
"And I was really happy and blessed to be in a position to be able to do that," Harbaugh said. "My coach Bo Schembechler had a saying here at Michigan: 'Those who stay will be champions.' It’s always resonated with me, from day one. And those that stayed through the pandemic when there were voluntary pay cuts and mandatory pay cuts, to be able to reward those that stayed in that way was something that (my wife) Sarah and I wanted to do."