Michigan AD wants Jim Harbaugh, John Beilein to stay until retirement

Nick Baumgardner , Nick Baumgardner | Detroit Free Press

Show Caption Hide Caption Michigan Wolverines' 2018 football schedule A look at the Wolverines' 2018 regular-season schedule, which opens at Notre Dame on Sept. 1, and finishes at Ohio State on Nov. 24. Video by Ryan Ford, Detroit Free Press

ROSEMONT, Ill. — Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel is in the process of finalizing a new contract for men's basketball coach John Beilein.

Manuel, speaking with reporters on Tuesday at the Big Ten headquarters, echoed Beilein's sentiment from Monday that the conversation is going well and he's excited for the future with regard to a new deal.

Asked if he's in the process of working on any type of extension for football coach Jim Harbaugh, Manuel said he's not at present time.

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However, he's told both coaches in clear terms that he'd like them to be at Michigan until they opt to retire from coaching.

"I love my coaches across the board, love those two guys (Harbaugh and Beilein) in particular," Manuel said. "I'm extremely pleased with where we are from a staffing standpoint. Jim and John are two people that I would love to see retire at this institution (when they) retire from coaching."

Beilein, 65, received a contract extension through 2020-21 back in 2015, bumping his pay up to $3.37 million annually. Though after leading the Wolverines back to the national title game last season, Manuel has maintained that he'd like to extend Beilein's deal for as long as he'd like to coach.

Beilein was No. 9 nationally in salary last season, third in the Big Ten behind Ohio State's Chris Holtmann and Michigan State's Tom Izzo.

Harbaugh is about to enter year four of his original seven-year deal. His original base salary was $5 million annually, though U-M increased his total compensation by way of a life insurance policy that added an additional $2 million to his yearly earnings back in 2016.

His total compensation last year, with bonus money, was $7.004 million, third-highest nationally behind only Alabama's Nick Saban and Clemson's Dabo Swinney.

His current deal would expire in 2021. And while Manuel says there haven't been any firm talks on a longer extension, he's committed to keeping the 54-year-old Harbaugh at Michigan for the long haul.

Harbaugh's original U-M contract was put together by then interim athletic director Jim Hackett, though Manuel was the AD when Michigan finalized the deferred compensation addendum in 2016.

"I don't want Jim to go anywhere either. He's got four more years (on his deal) at this point, but Jim also knows how I feel about him," Manuel said. "We've had great conversations and I don't want him to go anywhere either."

Harbaugh is 28-11 in three seasons at Michigan. Beilein is 248-143 in 11 years with two Big Ten regular season titles, two Big Ten Tournament titles and two Final Four/national title game appearances.

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