Former star tight end says it’s a pleasure playing for Jim Harbaugh

We are about a month away from the 2023 NFL Draft, meaning many former Michigan Wolverines are finding new homes after concluding their college careers. One of these Wolverines is former star tight end Luke Schoonmaker, who played a large role in Michigan’s 2021 and 2022 Big Ten title-winning seasons. According to Schoonmaker — who spent five years playing for Harbaugh’s Wolverines — head coach Jim Harbaugh is a pleasure to play for.

Schoonmaker: Jim Harbaugh is a pleasure to play for

Michigan has now won two-straight Big Ten titles under the leadership of Jim Harbaugh. In fact, few programs have come close to the amount of winning that Harbaugh & Co. have been doing as of late — Michigan is 25-3 over its past 28 games (19-1 Big Ten) with two conference titles and College Football Playoff appearances to match. Despite all of the Wolverines’ success, the identity of the team (and head coach Jim Harbaugh) have not changed a bit.

“It’s such a pleasure playing for him,” Schoonmaker said according to MLive. “His mindset is always thinking — thinking of something. I just really liked his coaching style. It was very similar to how I am as a player, as a person.”

Throughout Schoonmaker’s five years in the Maize and Blue, he saw a great deal of playing time, primarily in 2021 and 2022. Since Erick All was injured before Michigan’s most recent season, Schoonmaker served as the Wolverines’ starting tight end throughout the entire campaign, and played a pivotal role in Michigan’s successful offense and Big Ten title.

“Really traditional, gritty and blue-collar,” Schoonmaker said of Jim Harbaugh. “Of course, he had plenty of great stories after practices. The team just really appreciated him … It was awesome being able to come up after games, too, after wins and just see him so happy, so emotional … Because I think we have come a long way in the past few years — from what it was in 2020 to have the past two years that we did, it’s been a pleasure to play for him and see what it was before.”

During his time at Michigan, Schoonmaker caught 54 passes for 637 yards and seven touchdowns. He lettered in all five seasons, was an All-Big Ten selection twice while appearing in 43 games with 20 starts.

Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Managing Editor at [email protected]. Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other steaming platforms. It is because of your support that we have become one of the fastest and most influential Michigan media outlets there is!