Why Michigan Fans Should Not Be Mad at Jim Harbaugh
Jim Harbaugh has seen his fair share of scrutiny during his tenure at Michigan. Up until last season, most of the criticism against him stemmed from the opinion that he had underperformed. While his overall record was good, he stumbled in ranked matchups and against rivals. During his first 6 seasons at Michigan, he failed to reach a single conference championship game. Following an abysmal 2020 season, a large percentage of the fanbase was calling for his head.
In 2021 coach Harbaugh managed to pull off the seemingly impossible. He took a team that wasn’t ranked in the preseason and beat Ohio State on the way to a conference championship and Michigan’s first-ever College Football Playoff appearance. Michigan football’s return to national relevance had fans of the maize and blue celebrating and looking forward to years to come.
Then Harbaugh spent the first month of the offseason entertaining the idea of returning to the NFL, a gut-punch to the collective fanbase. In a widely covered story, he interviewed with the Minnesota Vikings on National Signing Day. It was thought that he would surely take the job and leave Michigan. At the last minute, he backed out and announced he would return to Michigan for good, stating “I’ll stay as long as they[Michigan] will have me.” Many fans, feeling betrayed, are still harboring resentment for the coach that put Michigan football back on the map, but there are a few reasons Michigan fans shouldn’t be mad at Jim Harbaugh.
Harbaugh, The Player
Let’s not forget that before his coaching days Jim Harbaugh was an elite college football quarterback at Michigan. He is arguably one of the best quarterbacks to ever play at the school. He was a part of 4 consecutive bowl appearances, including 2 as the primary offensive leader of the team. In 1986 he finished 3rd in the Heisman voting, an award that no Michigan quarterback has ever won. Following his senior year, he was drafted in the first round by the Chicago Bears and went on to have a solid NFL career.
For a school and fanbase that values the impact of having a “Michigan Man” as the head football coach, there isn’t a better fit than a former star quarterback. While his coaching career has had its ups and downs, it would be foolish for the fanbase to cast him aside based on him exploring a few job opportunities.
He Did It The Right Way
For some reason, there is a narrative circling that Jim Harbaugh held the University of Michigan and their fans hostage. This simply isn’t true. He notified Warde Manuel, Michigan’s Athletic Director, of his intentions to explore NFL opportunities. Instead of sitting around waiting for NFL GMs to make a move, what did he do? He hit the recruiting trail harder than ever, meeting with recruits daily, securing a top 10 class for Michigan.
Let’s consider the fact that he was one win away from a Super Bowl ring in San Francisco. It makes sense that there would be a part of him that was itching to see if the right NFL opportunity would present itself. It doesn’t mean that he wanted to leave Michigan. He did what all of us do when an appealing opportunity presents itself…He considered his options. He did it the way a true Michigan Man should, with honesty and integrity.
Team 142
The 142nd rendition of Michigan Football embodied everything that Jim Harbaugh represents. Coming into the season unranked and finishing in the College Football Playoff can be traced back directly to decisions that Harbaugh made. His choice to go out and assemble an energetic coaching staff filled with youth and former players gave this team the push it needed to overachieve. His commitment to defense and a hard-nosed run game had the Wolverines controlling possessions in big games. None of this happens without Harbaugh.
To cap it all off, coach Harbaugh showed a level of altruistic commitment to the University of Michigan and its staff that few individuals have ever displayed. He took his bonus money from the Big 10 Championship and CFP and donated it back to staff members of the university that were forced to take pay cuts due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
To say that Jim Harbaugh somehow mistreated Michigan and has lost the trust of the program is foolish. Let’s give the guy a break and move forward. He’s our coach and he’s a damn good leader of men.
