In his six seasons as head coach of the Michigan Wolverines, Jim Harbaugh has compiled a 49-22 overall record, while going 34-16 in Big Ten Play. But he’s earned scrutiny and criticism for a winless record against chief rival Ohio State as well as failing to appear in the College Football Playoffs.
The school saw fit to extend his contract through 2025, albeit at a reduced salary. However, one notable analyst believes that Michigan is wasting time by not removing him immediately.
During a Friday appearance on ESPN, Paul Finebaum lamented the fact that Harbaugh remains in Ann Arbor, and stated his belief that this will be his final season at his alma matter.
“He’s got no chance,” Finebaum declared. “They should fire him today and save the agony of waiting until November.”
He continued:
“Michigan manages its football program like an art museum, they don’t look at it the way the rest of us do,” he said. “That you have to win and beat your rival. What they did was cut his contract, and that will make it almost…it’s made it apparent that he’ll lose his job after this year. I know what we all said about Harbaugh five, six, seven years ago when he was a Super Bowl coach, but he’s been an abject disaster at Michigan. He was the most heralded hire other than Urban Meyer of the last eight or nine years in college football, and I’m not sure what he’s done. He shouldn’t have been retained, but he was.”
“Will he be back next year? The answer is no.”
Harbaugh, who remains winless against chief rival Ohio State and only 3-3 against the Michigan State Spartans, issued a bold declaration earlier this summer when talking about the Buckeyes, saying that Michigan will beat them “or die trying”.
– – Quotes via ESPN Link – –
