While there are a number of names on Michigan's radar, one coach has been on top of the list from the very beginning...and if you've been paying attention, UM's aggressive pursuit of Jim Harbaugh shouldn't be a surprise.
As much as Interim AD Jim Hackett dislikes the term 'Michigan Man', that's exactly what Harbaugh is: a former UM quarterback with deep ties to Ann Arbor and the football program. While the 49ers aren't as good as we expected this year, Harbaugh's credentials and recent resume can't really be questioned. He's completely changed the culture of one college program at Stanford, won NFL Coach of the Year in his rookie season, then took his team to the Super Bowl the very next year.
Lets get one thing out of the way: there are absolutely no guarantees that Harbaugh will accept the Michigan job (ESPN's Adam Schefter, a Michigan grad himself, has reported that Harbaugh would prefer to stay in the NFL). Harbaugh's situation in San Francisco is extremely hard to get a read on, but there have been constant reports over the last few months that his relationship with management is broken beyond repair. In coaching and media circles, you'd have a hard time finding anyone who expects Harbaugh to be coaching the 49ers in 2015.
So, how does Michigan lure its dream candidate to Ann Arbor when he'd rather stay in NFL? Reportedly, by making him the highest-paid football coach anywhere. According to this article people keep sending us, Michigan has already made their offer to Harbaugh: come to Ann Arbor, and we'll make you the highest paid coach in the game...not just the college game - THE game.
The source here could be wrong (they often are) but Jeff Moss, the article's author, actually has a pretty solid track record with breaking stories. He's certainly not the most popular writer in the state of Michigan, but he isn't going to decide to write an article about Michigan offering Jim Harbaugh over $7.5 million per year just for kicks.
Here's what we know for sure: Michigan loves Jim Harbaugh, and they're willing to move heaven and earth to get him. No one (possibly not even Harbaugh) knows if he'd accept an offer from Michigan, but they're definitely not going to lowball him.
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