Why Jim Harbaugh couldn't pass on coaching Michigan football in 2023
When Jim Harbaugh announced Monday he would return for his ninth season as Michigan football’s coach, he acknowledged that his emotions guided the decision.
“My heart,” he said, “is at the University of Michigan.”
It wasn’t a surprising revelation considering Harbaugh’s career moves have often been dictated by his personal nostalgia. Harbaugh’s first major job was at Stanford, the program where his father, Jack, once served as an assistant. His second was next door in San Francisco with the 49ers, the NFL franchise that he cheered for as a teenager.
The one he has held the longest is at Michigan, his alma mater that became a reservoir of good memories during his run as its star quarterback in the 1980s.
The longing to reopen a closed chapter in his past may have also influenced his recent interest in a return to pro football, where he achieved great success on the sidelines. The bountiful four-year run he had with the 49ers last decade was highlighted by appearances in three consecutive NFC championship games and a .695 winning percentage. At an October reunion for the 2012 team that fell just short of a Super Bowl title, Harbaugh called that period “the time of my life.”
But as this past autumn played out in Ann Arbor, with a perfect regular season and another thrilling conquest of Ohio State, he came to realize his current situation was just as good.
“Very blessed,” he said the following month.
The warm and fuzzy feelings Harbaugh harbored were buttressed by the strong conviction that he is responsible for raising the program to a level where it is in the annual conversation as a national title contender. The Wolverines are 25-3 in their past 28 games and have made a convincing argument that they have overtaken the Buckeyes as the Big Ten’s most formidable team.
As much as sentimentality factored into the calculus for Harbaugh while he weighed a future in the NFL against a continuation of his term at Michigan, practicality factored into the equation as well.
For a man who popularized the slogan, “Who’s got it better than us?” Harbaugh understood he had taken the Wolverines to the point where his desired answer to that question was as close to reality as it has ever been. It may not be "nobody," as he likes to say. But it’s certainly very few.
After advancing to the College Football Playoff each of the past two years, the Wolverines are positioned to win it all in 2023. In recent weeks, Michigan has welcomed back a slew of contributors who had NFL eligibility, a development that will ensure the preservation of the thriving culture Harbaugh has established since the program’s 2020 reckoning. From its offensive pacesetter Blake Corum to its defensive anchor Mike Sainristil, the return of seven productive upperclassmen only fortifies a team that features quarterback J.J. McCarthy and dynamic running back Donovan Edwards. An infusion of transfers also enhances the depth of the Wolverines, who shouldn't experience much drop-off between its starters and reserves. That is especially true within its most important unit, the offensive line, which now has a surplus of talent.
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“People want to come be here at Michigan,” Harbaugh said in late December. “More that want to come in than leave.”
The stability Harbaugh has created took years to achieve, as the Wolverines weathered unexpected roster attrition, constant staff turnover, chaotic management and unmet expectations. But the program now appears on rock solid ground even with the NCAA’s allegations of misconduct hovering over it and the shockwaves created Tuesday by the news of co-offensive coordinator Matt Weiss being placed on administrative leave amid a police investigation into possible computer crimes committed at Schembechler Hall. In spite of the controversies and the uncertainty they have invited, the esprit de corps has been maintained.
When Harbaugh recommitted to Michigan on Monday, Weiss' play-calling partner, Sherrone Moore, jumped on Twitter and exclaimed, “Yes sir!!! On a mission!”
The end goal, of course, is capturing what Harbaugh calls “college football’s greatest trophy.”
Last winter, after the allure of an elusive Super Bowl victory spurred his pursuit of the Minnesota Vikings’ head coaching vacancy, he returned to Ann Arbor without an offer and proclaimed that winning a national championship would be “plenty good.”
Well, the Wolverines may have their best shot in a generation. They have a favorable schedule that includes another batch of weak non-conference opponents and a home date with their biggest threat, the Buckeyes. They are also led by an experienced starting quarterback, which gives Michigan an edge over its potential CFP challengers Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State and Tennessee. Most importantly, they have a firm identity that reflects the program’s improved leadership.
In the end, it just made sense for Harbaugh to stay and see how far he can take Michigan, his pride and joy, in the coming year.
“I once heard a wise man say, 'Don't try to out-happy, happy,'” he said Monday.
It’s a nice sentiment steeped in truth. Michigan’s coach, after all, derives pleasure from winning, and he knows there could be a lot of victories in store this fall in sweet home Ann Arbor.
Contact Rainer Sabin: rsabin@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @RainerSabin.