| Detroit Free Press
Jim Harbaugh’s story: From a UM boy to Michigan football coach
Jim Harbaugh’s connection to Michigan’s football program dates back to the 1970s. Here’s a quick look at an impressive football career.
Tyler J. Davis, Des Moines Register
When Jim Harbaugh returned to Ann Arbor in December 2014 to restore his alma mater’s decadent football program, many believed he incorporated the lyrics of the famous university wrestling song.
He was a winner, a conquering hero, a leader and certainly one of the best in his profession.
In his introductory press conference, a reporter revealed to Harbaugh that others called him a savior and, yes, even a messiah.
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However, more than six years later, Michigan soccer coach is seen as something totally different.
He is a disappointment, a fallen star, a failed manager and a man who is no longer at the forefront in his field.
The decline in Harbaugh’s status was prolonged and bizarre – much like the imbroglio of the contract that finally ended after months and months of speculation when he signed a new five-year deal on Friday that almost cut his base pay and reduced his wages. Michigan acquisition costs.
With a stroke of the pen, Harbaugh conceded defeat once again. A man aged 11 to 10 in his last 21 games agreed to terms that favored a school that appears to have lost some faith in him.
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Michigan will not admit this publicly, and sports director Warde Manuel even contested that idea in a statement.
“I still believe that Jim is the right man to lead our program in the search for the Big Ten and CFP championships,” said Manuel.
But the reality is that Harbaugh has not taken the Wolverines to any title in the previous six years and the program gradually deteriorated after it peaked under his supervision in late 2016. During the recession that has unfolded since, Michigan has experienced a significant turnover staff and a flow of defections that destabilized the foundation of what Harbaugh was building.
At the same time, a disorganized recruiting approach hampered the Wolverines’ efforts to replenish an exhausted list for transfers and early departures to the NFL. The cumulative effect of these problems materialized last season, when the Wolverines appeared to have won or lost in defeats to Michigan State, Indiana, Wisconsin and Penn State.
Before this season, when Harbaugh was marching through the streets of Ann Arbor and campaigning to play the games, he exuded the same arrogance that had long defined his personality. He paid no attention to critics, believing he had put Michigan on the right course. But at that point his main detractors were outside, poking him from a distance. Nowadays, discontent has gotten higher from those close to the show and the supersaturant Wolverines message boards, where fans complain about the state of their beloved team.
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“There is work to be done and challenges to be faced,” acknowledged Harbaugh in a statement released on Friday. “These challenges are being faced as we continue to strive to achieve excellence in the classroom and championships in the field, a message that I hope will be seen in the language of our signed contract.”
The details of the incentive-rich deal are truly revealing, telling a story with numbers that subtly reveals Harbaugh’s inadequacies – the 0-5 record against arch-rival Ohio State that prevented him from winning the Big Ten East, the 1- 4 post-season that remains an albatross and the permanent inability to distinguish between peers that cannot be ignored.
If Harbaugh somehow defeated the Buckeyes, won the conference, qualified for the College Football Playoff, claimed a national championship and were named Coach of the Year, he would again become one of the highest paid men in college football.
More specifically, he would become the version of Harbaugh that the Michigan faithful thought they were receiving when he returned to Ann Arbor more than six years ago.
Once again, he would be seen as the winner, the conquering hero, the savior and the messiah.
But at UM, Harbaugh hasn’t shown that he’s that guy.
Instead, he is just another decent coach trying to win a few games and give his program a fighting chance.
The contract he signed on Friday reflects Harbaugh as he is now: a mere mortal trying to recover from the disappointment of the past six years against all odds.
Contact Rainer Sabin at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @RainerSabin. Read more about the Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans and sign up for our Big Ten newsletter.