Report: Michigan offered Jim Harbaugh 6 years, $48M

Michigan is apparently making a serious run at San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh to fill the open coaching position.

According to a report from the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, citing anonymous sources, U-M offered Harbaugh $8 million per year to coach the Wolverines.

That would be almost $1 million more than the current highest-paid college coach, Alabama's Nick Saban, who made $7,160,187 in his most recent season, according to USA Today.

"Jim Harbaugh has not yet told Michigan a definitive no," Rapoport said on NFL Network's "Around the NFL."

Rapoport earlier reported that U-M had approached Harbaugh and he said he would prefer to stay in the NFL.

Meanwhile, ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter posted on his Facebook page today that one person familiar with Harbaugh's thinking said he is "considering it." Schefter also said that another person close to the hiring process said "it was not likely" Harbaugh would end up at Michigan.

Harbaugh, the former Michigan quarterback, signed a five-year, $25 million contract when he was hired by the 49ers in 2011. He took them to the Super Bowl and two other NFC title games in his first three seasons. This year, though, the 49ers were eliminated from playoff contention last weekend.

He has one year remaining on his contract but most NFL insiders, including Rapoport, have insisted that there is no repairing his damaged relationship with 49ers management. Rapoport said the Oakland Raiders are interested as well.

Michigan has not made any statements about who is being targeted as a candidate since firing Brady Hoke on Dec. 2.

Harbaugh's last regular season game with the 49ers is Dec. 28 at home against the Arizona Cardinals.

Mark Snyder writes for the Detroit Free Press.