After flirting and interviewing for the opening with the Minnesota Vikings, and having his name mentioned for a few other NFL openings this off season, Jim Harbaugh ultimately decided to return to Ann Arbor and was faced with filling some major roles on his coaching staff, including both coordinator jobs.
The Detroit News shared the salary information of the new-look Wolverines staff recently where there's a significant investment in the new roles.
The promotions of offensive line coach Sherrone Moore and quarterbacks coach Matt Weiss to co-offensive coordinator roles came with some significant bumps in pay.
Moore made $550k last season and will now make a base salary of $900k. He will be the highest paid coach on the offensive staff. On the defensive side of the ball, new hire Jesse Minter (who joined the staff from Vanderbilt) will make $900k this year with a $25k bump in pay in the final two years of his deal.
Weiss is set to make $850k over the next three seasons after making $600k last season, his first in Ann Arbor.
Both co-offensive coordinators will have the opportunity to eclipse the $1 million mark with incentives that include finishing in the top two scoring offense in the Big 10 ($100k), finishing in the top 10 nationally in scoring ($100k), and for exceeding 9-wins ($200k).
The rest of the returning staff salaries are as follows:
- $850k - Steve Clinkscale - Co-DC / DBs - ($600k in 2021)
- $600k - Jay Harbaugh - Safeties / STC- ($415k in 2021 as STC / TEs)
- $500k - George Helow - LBs - $350k in 2021
- $500k - Mike Hart - RBs / Run Game Coordinator - ($415k in 2021)
Grant Newsome and Mike Elston are both entering their first season on Jim Harbaugh's on-field staff.
Newsome, who was promoted after serving as a graduate assistant for the program, has a two-year deal where he will make $250k in year one and $275k in year two, and Elston joins the staff after over a decade at Notre Dame and has a three year deal worth $600k his first season and $25k more each of the next two seasons.
Despite signing a new deal like many of his colleagues, the report did not include the salary for receivers coach Ron Bellamy, who is in his second season in Ann Arbor after working with the safeties last season.
Head here to see the full salary information of the staff.
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