"You have my pledge that I will carry forward the tradition of excellence of the University of Michigan football program," Harbaugh said.
"There are very special words that are in the English language that we all embrace. I was reminded of another very special word driving in Ann Arbor this morning. That was homecoming. ...To come back as a football coach at the University of Michigan, I have thought about that, dreamed about that since I was a young lad. Now it's time to live that dream."
Michigan athletics director Jim Hackett announced that Harbaugh signed a seven-year, $35 million deal, plus incentives. That figure of $5 million per year is similar to what Harbaugh made to coach the San Francisco 49ers on a five-year, $25 million contract.
The former All-America quarterback who guaranteed — and delivered — a victory over Ohio State and led the Wolverines to the 1987 Rose Bowl is returning to the sideline at Michigan Stadium nearly 20 years later, this time as the program's 20th head coach.
From the moment Brady Hoke was fired Dec.2 — and even before that in many eyes — Harbaugh, 51, was the first and overwhelming choice to resurrect a program that has missed a bowl three times and topped eight victories only once since Lloyd Carr retired after the 2007 season.
