Jim Harbaugh, Michigan contract sticking point is immunity, per report

Jim Harbaugh has a condition to stay at Michigan within a new contract with the school, according to Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wetzel.

If Harbaugh is granted immunity with ongoing NCAA investigations, he could stick around in Ann Arbor. Reportedly, that’s the biggest sticking point per Wetzel.

Harbaugh just interviewed with the Los Angeles Chargers, but his coaching future is fluid at the moment.

“Among the sticking points in contract discussions between Michigan and Jim Harbaugh: language that grants Harbaugh immunity from termination for any finding stemming from multiple current NCAA investigations, industry sources tell Yahoo Sports,” Wetzel wrote on Twitter.

Not only that, the Michigan head coach wants a bit of a delay in his new deal, should he stay with the Wolverines.

“Harbaugh is also seeking a delay in the start date of the new contract to maintain a lower buyout that NFL teams would have to pay Michigan to hire him away,” Wetzel wrote. “The buyout in his current contract dropped from $2.25 million to $1.5 million on January 11. Michigan is seeking that to rise to about $4 million in a new deal. Harbaugh has sought to have the new deal not start until Feb. 15, thus maintaining the lower, and more favorable, buyout number until after the NFL hiring cycle has concluded.”

If you want to see the unusual language in this potential contract, there’s no greater example than in Harbaugh’s termination clause, per the report.

“Harbaugh is seeking a matrix of fines be spelled out if there are any future NCAA violations as well as prohibiting the school’s athletic director from firing him ‘for cause’ and instead having that decision, should it ever arise, rest in a three-member arbitration panel, sources said,” Wetzel wrote.

The Wolverine’s Clayton Sayfie recently explained why Harbaugh’s future isn’t exactly cut and dry if he were to stay at Michigan.

“So I mean, he understands why they did (gave him a self imposed suspensino), but I don’t know necessarily if he was on board with it,” Sayfie said of Harbaugh’s season. “I mean, his pay was cut. There’s a lot of history here, so it’s never cut and dry when it comes to Jim Harbaugh. That’s why he’s so unpredictable. You never really know exactly what he’s thinking. He’s hard to get a read on and Michigan’s kind of quiet on this stuff, too. Ware Manuel was as vocal as he’s ever been … and he said, I’m working on getting this guy a new contract, pointing right at him. 

“You know, he wants to get it done. It’s just so complicated, but it is interesting to see. I don’t want to say desperate but it just felt like they know that they gotta get this done if they want a shot here to keep him.”