Jim Harbaugh has made a name for himself as a head coach. He got his first opportunity to coach at the University of San Diego. After the 2006 season, he was hired to be the head coach at the University of Stanford. While there, he had some up and down years. However, the best year he had with the program came in 2010 as he led the Cardinal to an 11-1 record. He also had a quarterback named Andrew Luck playing for him. After his stint at Stanford, Jim was hired on as the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. In his first three years, he led the Niners to three consecutive NFC championships. For the 2015 season, he went back to the college game and was named the head coach of his alma mater at Michigan where he’s been since. After rumors of possibly taking another job in the NFL, it was announced today that Jim will remain in Ann Arbor as the head coach for the next five years. He’s signed a contract extension today.
He’s one of the five best coaches in the country today. Over the years, he’s done a great job at developing football players and leading young men. There are always coaches who are labeled as players coaches and that term fits Jim properly. He’s an energetic guy who coaches with a lot of energy and shows a ton of enthusiasm on the sideline. The players love playing for him and it shows. I’ve said over the years either you want to play for a coach or you don’t. His men leave everything all on the field for him and it shows they appreciate all he does and all he teaches them. I respect the passion he has for the game. When things aren’t going right, he can show that emotion and won’t have any problem hiding it. In other words, he’ll go to war for his players and how could you not go all out for a coach like this? Jim leads and they all follow.
I understood the whole “Jim can’t win the big games” line. For years, he struggled to win games under the lights, and most importantly, he could never beat the Ohio State Buckeyes. For years, they were a true thorn in his side. 2021 however ended up being the best season his coaching tenure at Michigan. He led the Wolverines to a Big Ten East division title, the Big Ten title game in which they were victorious over the Iowa Hawkeyes, a College Football Playoff appearance and he finally got that first win over Ohio State back in November to close out the regular season. I’m glad he’s staying put. He’s put together something special possibly in Ann Arbor.
