Opinion: Jim Harbaugh won’t be coaching Michigan Football in 2021

The current contract extension situation surrounding Jim Harbaugh is one of the biggest mysteries that I can ever remember involving the Michigan football program.

This is a problem that should have been resolved last off season between Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan Football athletic department. Both sides blamed the Covid-19 pandemic for not getting this done sooner but that did not stop several other schools from hiring/firing coaches during that time.

Coming into this season, Harbaugh was the only power five head coach with less than three years on his current contract. Everybody knew a deal had to get done. And even to this day, if both sides mutually wanted Jim Harbaugh to be the coach at Michigan next season, a deal would be done.

Every day that passes, I become more and more confident that Jim Harbaugh will not be coaching the Wolverines next season.

And if anyone tells you that they know what’s going to happen, they are simply not telling the truth. There are very few people more connected with the Michigan athletic department than John U. Bacon, and here’s some info that he offered up last night.

A lot of fans are getting hung up on Michigan’s recruiting class as a reason that Harbaugh is staying. Here is why I think that isn’t good reasoning: This pandemic year was tough on recruits. Players were not able to visit other programs and many kids committed based solely on zoom calls and location to home.

Also, five-star QB commit J.J. McCarthy, was possibly the best recruiter Michigan football had in this class. He worked his tail off keeping this class together despite the circus surrounding the Wolverines.

Players want to play with five-stars. Especially five-star quarterbacks. So I would credit the pandemic year and McCarthy as the biggest reasons this recruiting class held together despite everything that’s going on with Michigan football right now.

It is my opinion that Harbaugh coaching Michigan next season is a back up plan for both sides. That is the only explanation for a deal not being done yet.

If both sides wanted this deal to be done, why did Jim Harbaugh go on vacation before getting his extension done? Why hasn’t there been any staff changes announced yet? Why does no insider or anyone well connected with the program have any idea what’s going to happen? The whole situation has been fishy for the last year.

I believe that one of three things is happening right now.

1. Jim Harbaugh is waiting it out to see if the right NFL job becomes available.
2. Michigan AD Warde Manuel has offered an extension that he knew Jim Harbaugh would likely not take.
3. There are disagreements between the athletic department and boosters on the direction they want to see this football program go in regards to Jim Harbaugh.

If it is indeed one of those three scenarios, none of them are exactly ideal. And none of them make me confident that this is going to be resolved soon.

Keep in mind, this whole piece is 100% my opinion. I could be wrong. The truth is, nobody knows what is going to happen over the course of the next month.

But if Jim Harbaugh and Michigan football do come to an agreement soon, both sides could not have handled this situation any worse and it’s been a bad look for the athletic department.

For the sake of every player, recruit, and Michigan football fan, no matter which direction the program goes, I hope it gets resolved soon. Because this has been nothing short of a clown show by both sides.