Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh still hasn't agreed to an extension

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*** Now, about the Harbaugh contract …

Not only has he not signed it, “I haven’t even discussed it,” he told me today.

That comment would seem to contradict what athletic director Bob Bowlsby said three weeks ago — that “Jim has indicated he plans to accept it.”

When I relayed Bowlsby’s comment to Harbaugh, he said: “Maybe he misspoke.”

*** Bowlsby declined to provide any details about the proposed contract when he went public with its existence.

But sources close to the university’s powerbrokers have told me it’s worth approximately $3 million per year and includes substantial amounts of deferred compensation and housing assistance.

It would make Harbaugh the second-highest paid coach in the conference (behind USC’s Lane Kiffin) and is an astounding figure for Stanford, which has never been inclined top pay top dollar in the past.

But as one source said of the administration, “They like having a winning football team, and they like the money that comes with it.”

Welcome to the real world, Stanford.

*** Will the new deal keep Harbaugh on The Farm if Michigan or the NFL comes calling with $4 or 5 million per year while also tugging at his heart (Michigan) and/or competitive fire (the NFL)?

Who knows. But it’s clear that Stanford is doing what it can to try to keep him.

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