Jim Harbaugh, Michigan football reaping rewards of being more than a football team

Jim Harbaugh is heading into his ninth season with the Michigan Wolverines football program, and to say it has been quite a ride thus far would be a drastic understatement. From incredible seasons like 2021 and 2022 to subpar years like 2020, the Maize and Blue have experienced a wide range of highs and lows under their current head coach. Harbaugh is currently seeking a third-straight Big Ten title and more this fall.

During the 2022-23 offseason, Jim Harbaugh had the opportunity to express his view of the Michigan football program, and his answer is simple: it’s a family.

Jim Harbaugh: Michigan football is a family

The Michigan football program has experienced significant success recently, winning two consecutive Big Ten titles, making two appearances in the College Football Playoff, and more. In 2023, the Maize and Blue are determined to compete for the program’s first title since the mid-1990s. However, if the Wolverines hope to achieve this success, it must begin with the program’s culture.

Jim Harbaugh emphasizes that the Michigan football program is not just a team, but a family.

“Just how good in terms of a culture, a family that this Michigan football program is: It’s almost in my mind like some of those housing markets have become recession-proof,” Jim Harbaugh said, according to ON3. “They’re just good. No matter what’s coming from outside of here, I just see everybody here.”

The Harbaugh saga in Ann Arbor still has a few chapters left — can the Wolverines win a title?

In late 2014, Michigan football hired Jim Harbaugh, the former head coach of the San Francisco 49ers and Stanford Cardinal. In the 1980s, Harbaugh played for the Maize and Blue and is one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in the program’s history.

Jim Harbaugh faced a challenging task when he took over the Wolverines. In the previous seven years, Michigan had a 46-42 record, with only one 10-win season. Additionally, they had a disappointing performance in 2014, finishing 5-7 and suffering losses to Maryland and Rutgers.

Just one year into his tenure, Jim Harbaugh put Michigan football back on the national stage. The team went 10-3 and had a top 15 finish, culminating in a victory over the Florida Gators in the Citrus Bowl.

Harbaugh faced challenges in his early years, but in his seventh year, everything changed. The Wolverines defeated Ohio State, won the Big Ten, and made an appearance in the College Football Playoff in 2021. They repeated these impressive accomplishments in the following season as well.

As Jim Harbaugh enters his ninth year, he and Michigan football have even greater ambitions. The Wolverines aim to win their first national title since 1997 when Lloyd Carr’s team, led by Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson, achieved that feat.

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