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Newsstand: Jim Harbaugh still not paid like a top-ten coach

Anthony Broomeby: Anthony Broome10/03/23anthonytbroome
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The Michigan Wolverines are led by head coach Jim Harbaugh, who has a 76-25 record in his ninth season on the job and is coming off back-to-back Big Ten titles and trips to the College Football Playoff. And yet, he is still not paid like one of the top-tier coaches in the sport.

According to USA Today via numbers that Action Network’s Brett McMurphy sent out, Harbaugh ranks 12th among all coaches in salary, making $8.254 million in 2023. That puts him fourth in the Big Ten behind Ohio State’s Ryan Day ($10.3 million), former Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker ($10.015 million), who will not be paid that now that he is fired, and Penn State’s James Franklin ($8.5 million).

Alabama’s Nick Saban and Clemson’s Dabo Swinney lead the list at around $11 million per season.

Below is the full list tweeted out from McMurphy using the USA Today numbers:

1 Nick Saban, Bama $11.407 million
2 Dabo Swinney, Clemson $10.884
3 Kirby Smart, Georgia $10.705
4 Ryan Day, Ohio St $10.271
5 Mel Tucker, Mich St $10.015
6 Brian Kelly, LSU $9.975
7 Jimbo Fisher, A&M $9.150
8 Mark Stoops, Kentucky $9.013
9 Josh Huepel, Tennessee $9.000
(Tie) Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss $9.000
11 James Franklin, Penn St $8.500
12 Jim Harbaugh, Michigan $8.254
13 Luke Fickell, Wisconsin $7.625
(Tie) Mike Gundy, Okla St $7.625
15 Mike Norvell, Florida St $7.300
16 Billy Napier, Florida $7.270
17 Brent Venables, OU $7.100
18 Kirk Ferentz, Iowa $7.000
19 Dan Lanning, Oregon $6.624
20 Hugh Freeze, Auburn $6,500
(Tie) Bret Bielema, Illinois $6.500
22 Sam Pittman, Arkansas $6.357
23 Kyle Whittingham, Utah $6,325
24 Shane Beamer, South Carolina $6.125
25 Eliah Drinkwitz, Missouri $6.000
(Tie) P.J. Fleck, Minnesota $6.000

Tweets of the day

Michigan quote of the day

“When things are scary good, that’s where you want to be. That’s who you want to be with. That’s how you want to be doing things. But the Law of Averages say that it’s going to catch up to you. To see if we can defy Newton’s — Sir Isaac Newton’s Laws of Gravity. What goes up, must come down. The gravitational force of the Earth is tremendous. So are some of the forces against a football team. Some of the things that are sent there to divide a football team. The ones that aren’t divided are the ones that are playing in the Playoff. Most guys have so much at stake, with their individual careers, and there’s nothing more important to me than each and every guy’s individual career. But to do both, to love both. Do what’s best for your family, do what’s best for you, and then get the team in there. I mean, that’s scary good. That’s happening with our staff, our coaching staff, the coordinators, the assistant coaches, staff, the medical, the doctors, the trainers, the equipment staff. … It’s a scary good thing.

“Got to keep those balls up in the air. How do you keep them high? Probably energy. Energy and working at it. Attacking it. That’s the only way to keep the balloon up that doesn’t have helium in it. Eventually, that’s going to come down. But hey, smoke still rises. You know. It stays up a long time, I’ve noticed. Heat. I guess heat energy. Those things are the way we’re going about it.”

– Jim Harbaugh’s impromptu science lesson during his Monday press conference

Headlines of the day

Blue Chips: Michigan still in mix for elite QB, late riser to watch in 2024
Jim Harbaugh on J.J. McCarthy’s unselfishness, offensive lineman who’s ‘gotta play more’
Wolverine TV podcast: Michigan football continues to flex its dominance
TheWolverine.com Podcast: Balas and Skene on Michigan win at Nebraska, more on Harbaugh contract
‘I can help make plays out there’: Michigan EDGE Braiden McGregor is the Big Ten’s best in this area

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