The Los Angeles Chargers reportedly handed over a bank vault to Jim Harbaugh.
The Chargers lured Harbaugh away from Ann Arbor and the Michigan Wolverines following a national title run, and there’s been a lot of speculation about how much he got to return to the NFL.
Michigan reportedly offered him a deal worth $12.5 million annually, and OutKick’s great Armando Salguero reported shortly before his hiring that Harbaugh was seeking $18 million a year.
NFL coaching contracts aren’t public, but details about how much money was required to secure his services are leaking out.
Jim Harbaugh reportedly earning $16 million annually with the Chargers.
The former Michigan coach’s five-year deal is for $16 million annually with the Chargers, according to ProFootballTalk.
That means Jim Harbaugh will earn $80 million over the lifetime of the deal if it’s fully guaranteed. It’s hard to believe Harbaugh’s people didn’t get every penny guaranteed, given how hot of a coaching candidate.
It’s less overall money than the 10-year, $125 million deal Michigan reportedly put on the table, but it’s significantly more money on a yearly basis.
Is Harbaugh worth $80 million over five years?
The obvious question fans are going to have is whether or not the now-legendary Michigan coach is worth $16 million annually for five seasons.
The answer is yes. It’s not even a tough call. Jim Harbaugh did what most college coaches who leave for the NFL can never do:
Win and win at a high level.
Most college coaches don’t last long in the NFL, and some have downright awful tenures. Urban Meyer is one of the greatest college coaches in the history of the sport.
The former Ohio State and Florida coach didn’t even make it a full season in the NFL with the Jaguars before being shown the door.
Harbaugh left Stanford for the 49ers and had a lot of success before returning to his alma mater. He’s a proven winner and is fresh off winning a national title.
If he takes Justin Herbert and the Chargers to a Super Bowl victory, then $16 million will look like a bargain. There will also certainly be a lot more money coming his way if he lifts the Lombardi Trophy. Let me know your thoughts on Harbaugh at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.
