It wasn’t cheap luring Jim Harbaugh away from Ann Arbor.
While it was announced last week that Harbaugh had agreed to become the Chargers’ next head coach, few details were known about the contract.
Pro Football Talk reported on Tuesday night that Harbaugh is getting $16 million annually and previous reports said the deal was for five years.
That would likely make Harbaugh the second-highest-paid coach in the league, only behind Sean Payton, who gets $18 million a season from the Broncos.
The price tag makes sense given the success that Harbaugh has enjoyed in the NFL and in college, coming off a national championship with undefeated Michigan.
Now, Harbaugh is tasked with turning around a snake-bitten Chargers franchise that has failed to capitalize on the talents of star quarterback Justin Herbert.
“I love Michigan, but I love the NFL too. There’s no Lombardi Trophy in college football,” Harbaugh said on the CBS pregame show ahead of the AFC Championship game, which saw his brother John and the Ravens fall to the Chiefs, 17-10.
“I got so many sands left in the hourglass and I want to take a crack at that,” Harbaugh added. “There’s nowhere better to do it than with the Los Angeles Chargers. Susie Spanos, Dean Spanos, Ed McGuire, John Spanos and this great quarterback.”
The Chargers finished 5-12 last season and fired head coach Brandon Staley after a dreadful 63-21 loss to the Raiders on Dec. 15.
Herbert has thrown for 17,223 yards and 114 touchdowns in four seasons, but Los Angeles has only made the playoffs one time in that span.
That postseason appearance, which came last season, saw the Chargers blow a 27-0 lead to the Jaguars.
A “starstruck” Harbaugh said he has already met with Herbert, as well as safety Derwin James and receiver Keenan Allen.
“We work together, we win together and it’s worth it,” Harbaugh said. “The hard work, the sacrifice, the pressure, all of it.
“Why would somebody put themselves through that? Because the rewards are just so darn good.”
Harbaugh went 44-19-1 as the 49ers coach from 2011-14, reaching the playoffs his first three seasons and losing Super Bowl XLVII to the Ravens.
Harbaugh, though, clashed with GM Trent Baalke and was let go after an 8-8 season.
Harbaugh’s introductory press conference with the Chargers is Thursday.