Michigan football's Jim Harbaugh enters 2020 season with contract uncertainty

The elephant in Michigan football’s living room will remain there for a bit longer.

Jim Harbaugh confirmed Monday he still hasn’t signed a contract extension, meaning he will enter this season as the only Power Five coach with less than two years left on his deal. Harbaugh said in the summer that a new agreement was being negotiated earlier this year, but that those discussions had been tabled since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

Harbaugh explained in July the contract wasn’t high on the priority list.

And on Monday he maintained that was still the case.

“Just other fish, bigger fish to fry,” he said.

Harbaugh’s current deal is set to expire three days after the final game of the 2021 season and he’s currently drawing a $7.79 million salary — the fourth-highest figure among FBS coaches in the country, according to a USA Today database.

Earlier this year, Harbaugh took a 10% pay reduction as the athletic department faced budgetary problems. The fallout from COVID-19 led to 21 employees losing their jobs and a $26.1 million deficit projection.

The absence of an extension at this point in Harbaugh’s tenure has raised eyebrows among some industry insiders while others have questioned the effect it has had on Michigan’s recruiting.

When Harbaugh was asked if he sensed that competitors were using his contract status against him, he simply responded, “Go Blue!”

Contact Rainer Sabin at rsabin@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @RainerSabin. Read more on the Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans and sign up for our Big Ten newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football's Jim Harbaugh enters 2020 season with contract uncertainty