Michigan football: Rounding up coaching carousel rumors and revisiting contracts

Michigan football is preparing for a date with TCU in the College Football Playoff semifinal, but coaching cycle season is upon us with plenty of movement across the country. The Wolverine staff has not been majorly affected to this point, but a few candidate names have popped up in the interview cycle.

Once the first week of December hits, we start to see reports that NFL teams might be interested in bringing in Harbaugh. Last year, the rumors materialized into a job interview with the Minnesota Vikings. He had been offered, he may have taken it. This time around, Harbaugh has gotten out ahead of it, saying that he and his staff will return to Michigan in 2023 (and likely beyond).

“That time of the year type of speculation, but I think no man knows the future,” Harbaugh said on Sunday night. “But I think that people that think we’ve done a good job and are pleased with the job that we’ve done here at Michigan, they’re going to be very happy to learn that we will be back enthusiastically coaching the Wolverines in 2023. And for those people that don’t approve of the job we’ve done or would rather see somebody else coaching here, I think they’ll be most likely disappointed to learn we’ll be back coaching the Wolverines and in 2023.”

Do not be surprised to see him get a pay bump from Michigan sooner rather than later. Here is a look at members of his staff and what their futures might be in Ann Arbor.

Note: Financial figures courtesy of The Detroit News

Michigan offense

Co-offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Sherrone Moore

Moore is the staff’s highest-paid assistant and signed a contract last spring that gives him a base salary of $900,000 over the next 3 seasons. His base salary increases $25,000 in each of the final two years on his contract. Moore will enter the 2nd year of his new contract when 2023 hits.

Coaching mill rumors had some buzz of interest from Stanford, Colorado and Western Michigan, but buzz has been little and nothing has materialized as of Dec. 7. Colorado’s vacancy is filled with former Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders taking the job.

Co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Matt Weiss

Weiss signed a 3-year deal this offseason that pays him $850,000 each year and will head into year 2 of his contract in 2023. His name has not popped up in any coaching carousel reports.

Both he and Moore have performance bonuses in their contracts for final scoring offense ranks among the Big Ten (top 2) and nationally (top 10). Hitting each bonus pays out another $100,000. Michigan currently ranks 2nd in the Big Ten in scoring offense and 7th nationally at 40.1 points per game, so both bonuses should be paid out.

Running backs coach/run game coordinator Mike Hart

Hart is in the 2nd year of a 3-year deal signed with Michigan in 2021. He has a base salary of $500,000 this season and is set to make $550,000 should he stick around in 2023. Western Michigan had reported interest in hiring him for its head coaching vacancy, but recent reports indicate WMU is going in another direction.

Wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy

Bellamy signed a 2-year contract in 2021 that paid him $225,000 last season and $250,000 in 2022. He is one of Michigan’s ace recruiters on the trail and his name has not appeared in the running for any other jobs. Bellamy did sign a new contract last offseason, but the terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Tight ends coach Grant Newsome

Newsome was inked to a 2-year contract this offseason that paid him a base salary of $250,000 in 2022 and $275,000 in 2023.

Michigan defense

Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter

Minter signed a 3-year deal at Michigan this past offseason that pays him $900,000 this year and $25,000 more each of the next 2 years. There were some light rumors suggesting he could be a candidate at Cincinnati for their head coaching vacancy, but the job ultimately went to Louisville head coach Scott Satterfield.

Co-defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale

Clinkscale was promoted to co-defensive coordinator this offseason after triggering a clause in his contract that he would get a bump if Michigan finished in the top-25 for fewest passing yards allowed in 2021. Clinkscale is another ace recruiter for the Wolverines and is set to make $850,000 through the 2024 season. At this time, interest from other schools has not been publicly shared.

Defensive line coach/recruiting coordinator Mike Elston

One of the coups of the Michigan offseason in 2022 was bringing Elston over from Notre Dame. He signed a 3-year deal at Michigan that pays him $600,000 in year one and $25,000 more each of the next two seasons. No rumors have linked him to jobs elsewhere.

Linebackers coach George Helow

Helow has not been linked anywhere else as of this posting. He made $500,00 in base salary this season and is set for a bump to $550,000 in 2023.

Special teams coordinator/safeties coach Jay Harbaugh

The younger Harbaugh was another Michigan candidate rumored for the head coaching job over at Western Michigan. However, he never moved far into the process. No other schools have publicly emerged as potential destinations.

Harbaugh made $600,000 this season and will through next year, too.

Others of note

– Associate head coach Biff Poggi, who served Michigan in an off-field role over the last 2 seasons, left to take the head coaching job at Charlotte.