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Harbaugh
starts
season
with 2
years
left on
deal at
Michigan
By
LARRY
LAGE
3-4
minutes
ANN
ARBOR,
Mich.
(AP) —
Usually,
college
football
coaches
at major
programs
have
many
years on
their
contract
that
helps
them
persuade
recruits
to sign
with the
school.
Michigan’s
Jim
Harbaugh
enters
his
sixth
season
as coach
with
just two
years
left on
his deal
that
pays him
about $7
million
per
season,
adding
another
layer of
interest
to the
18th-ranked
Wolverines
as they
kick off
the
season
this
week at
No. 21
Minnesota.
Harbaugh
said in
July
that he
was
closing
in on a
contract
extension
earlier
this
year
before
dealing
with the
COVID-19
pandemic
became a
top
priority
for him
and the
school.
Harbaugh
was on a
Zoom
call
with
reporters
on
Monday,
for the
first
time in
three-plus
months,
and said
there
was no
update
on
contract
talks.
“Other
fish —
bigger
fish —
to fry,”
he said.
What
his
message
to
recruits,
who may
hear
other
coaches
question
Harbaugh’s
commitment
to the
school
or vice
versa?
“Go
Blue,”
Harbaugh
said.
Michigan
linebacker
James
Ross got
to know
Harbaugh
when his
brother,
James,
played
linebacker
for him
in 2015
and his
first
impression
of him
has not
changed
over the
years.
“Coach
Harbaugh
was a
very
passionate
guy,
very
motivated
guy,”
Ross
said.
“He
rallies
all of
us
together
as one.
I love
that guy
and I’m
glad
he’s in
my head
coach.”
Harbaugh
is 47-18
overall
with the
Wolverines
and
32-12 in
the Big
Ten,
including
an 0-5
record
against
the
Buckeyes.
Michigan
athletic
director
Warde
Manuel
has said
repeatedly
that he
wants
Harbaugh
to lead
the
Wolverines
until he
chooses
to
retire
from
coaching.
Harbaugh
did not
appear
to be
pleased
that the
school
he works
for was
among
the Big
Ten
institutions
that
were in
favor
initially
of
punting
football
season
to early
2021.
The
Big Ten
reversed
its
decision
in
mid-September
less
than
five
weeks
after
the
conference
announced
it would
push
football
and
other
fall
sports
to
spring.
Harbaugh
was an
outspoken
advocate
for
playing
this
year
despite
the
pandemic.
He
pointed
to
protocols
that
have
kept
players
and
staff
safe
along
with the
fact
that the
young
men on
his team
have
been
training
for
years to
compete
in 2020.
“They’ve
put
themselves
in a
position
to have
their
chance,
have
their
opportunity,
to show
what
they can
do and
that’s
the
biggest
thing
I’m
excited
about,”
he said.
“There’s
challenges,
but the
opportunity
is the
thing
that
means
the
most.”
Harbaugh
said the
program
has had
some
positive
COVID-19
tests
over the
last
month,
but that
everyone
had
negative
results
as of
Monday.
While
Harbaugh
said
quarterback
Joe
Milton
has been
practicing
with the
first-string
offense,
he said
it is
difficult
to name
starters
due to
testing.
He said
players
have to
have
negative
tests
Friday
to
travel
with the
team and
again on
Saturday
to play
that
evening
against
the
Golden
Gophers.
___
Follow
Larry
Lage on
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/LarryLage
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