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Jim Harbaugh pledges all incentive money to Michigan staffers who had to take COVID-19 pay cut

Outside of a very bad 15 minutes against Michigan State, it has been a dream season for Michigan. And likely a lucrative one for head coach Jim Harbaugh.

Harbaugh, one of the most criticized coaches in college football over the past few years, is set to enter his first Big Ten championship game after the 11-1 Wolverines finally took down Ohio State last weekend. Win against Iowa on Saturday, and his program is headed to the College Football Playoff.

For a man who signed a heavily incentivized contract this January, the above paragraph means a major payday is coming. But not for him, as he revealed Monday.

During his "Inside Michigan Football" radio show, Harbaugh announced that all bonus money from contract incentives this year will go toward the scores of Michigan athletics employees who had their pay cut due to the losses from the COVID-19 pandemic last year, per Angelique Chengelis of The Detroit News.

As Chengelis lays out, Harbaugh could make nearly $2 million should the next week shake out right. He might not win a national coach of the year award, but Big Ten Coach of the Year is a strong possibility. His team has already won its division and is a 10.5-point favorite against Iowa, via BetMGM. His team may already be guaranteed a New Years Six bowl bid.

That money would be quite helpful for Michigan team employees after the program cut salaries and eliminated positions in 2020:

Full-time staff members who earn between $100,001 and $150,000 will see a 7.5-percent salary reduction. Those who earn between $50,000 and $100,000 will see a five-percent salary reduction. Staff members that earn less than $50,000 will not have their salaries reduced.