Contract details revealed for Michigan coaches Kirk Campbell, Grant Newsome, J.B. Brown
Michigan Wolverines football offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell will be paid an average salary of over $1 million over the next three years, MLive reported after obtaining his contract through a public records request.
Campbell, who will also coach quarterbacks after doing so last season, inked a three-year deal worth $3.05 million. It expires after January 2027. The 37-year old made $350,000 as quarterbacks coach last season. Campbell will rake in $950,000 in 2024, $1 million in 2025 and $1.1 million in 2026.
Head coach Sherrone Moore, Michigan’s offensive coordinator last season before being promoted himself, cashed in with $1.2 million in 2023.
Campbell will have to pay Michigan $950,000 if he leaves in the first year of his contract, $500,000 in the second and $275,000 in the third. He wouldn’t have to pay a buyout, though, if he becomes a Division I head coach, leaves for the NFL in the second or third year or departs after the 2026 season. He also wouldn’t owe U-M anything if offensive play-calling duties are “permanently or indefinitely” taken away from Campbell.
Grant Newsome, who made $275,000 last year, was promoted to lead the offensive line after coaching tight ends the last two seasons. He’s set to earn $600,000 annually as part of a two-year deal that expires after January 2026.
His buyout is $600,000 the first season and $300,000 the second season — unless he leaves to become a college head coach or offensive coordinator or an NFL coach in the second year.
J.B. Brown is Michigan’s new special teams coach, replacing Jay Harbaugh, who departed last month for the Seattle Seahawks. Brown will make $350,000 each of the next two seasons.
Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel spoke with reporters this week and discussed assistant coaches leaving U-M for the NFL, as well as an increased pool of money for Moore to work with as he fills out his staff. Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach Steve Clinkscale, defensive line coach Mike Elston, graduate assistant Dylan Roney, analyst Rick Minter and director of strength and conditioning Ben Herbert have all left Michigan to work for former head coach Jim Harbaugh with the Los Angeles Chargers.
I’ve never gotten mad if people have an opportunity in making a decision. I know some of them were already being talked to even before Jim was selected for head coach at the Chargers. These are decisions that people make, and it happens over time. It gives Sherrone an opportunity to rebuild the staff — particularly the defensive side — in the way that he wants, and we feel good about the people that he’s bringing on.
“We’re taking this as an opportunity to keep it moving forward and to work with those who have stayed and to welcome those who will come in new with the same expectations for winning, for developing these young men and for doing the things that we feel are necessary to move the program forward. He’s doing a good job with recruiting. He talked to all of the staff and some of them, you know, had a debate about it. Some of them really wanted to go and we wish them well and look forward to those who come into the program.”
Continued the Michigan athletic director: “Prior to Jim leaving, I invested more in our assistant pool. And it really brought it up by a couple of million dollars to invest in our assistant coaches. And so that was done prior to Jim deciding to leave to go to the Chargers and that remains with Sherrone, in terms of that investment.”
