The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1396591
12 THE WOLVERINE AUGUST 2021 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS [Juwan Howard is] a great guy; he'll get the best out of you. He'll keep it real with you, and I know that's what the NBA is going to be like. He's coming from the NBA, so he's been around those guys and he keeps it real with you. I need a coach like that. He gets on you when you're not competing or you're being lazy, and that's the type of coach and person I need in my life." — Former Michigan basketball guard CHAUNDEE BROWN JR. in an interview with Pacers.com BY THE NUMBERS PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Is where ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg listed JIM HARBAUGH on his re-rank of the top college coaches based on their football-playing careers. Harbaugh, who was a first-round pick for the Chicago Bears in 1987 (No. 26 overall), went on to play 15 years in the NFL following a stellar career in Ann Arbor from 1983-87. "Harbaugh retains the top spot after a decorated career as both a college and NFL quarterback," Rittenberg wrote. "The son of college coach Jack Harbaugh fin- ished third in Heisman Trophy voting in 1986, when he won Big Ten MVP and earned All-America honors. His career pass efficiency mark (149.6) led the NCAA for 12 years. Harbaugh played portions of 15 NFL seasons, reaching the Pro Bowl and earning AFC Offensive Player of the Year honors with Indianapolis in 1995." 10th Is where The Athletic ranked Michigan's hiring of head coach Jim Harbaugh on its listing of the 40 Big Ten football coaching hires made since 1999, with the criteria factoring in "a coach's win- loss record matters, longevity, degree of difficulty, championships and final rankings." "There's no greater disconnect between results and perception than with Harbaugh's Michigan tenure," the publication wrote. "Harbaugh has won 69 percent of his games and finished in the top 20 four times. But the standards are different at Michigan, where coaches are judged on Big Ten championships and victories against Ohio State. Harbaugh has neither. Until Har- baugh takes a team to Indianapolis and beats the Buckeyes, that gap will widen between expectations and outcomes." The hires that were listed above Harbaugh's were (in order), Urban Meyer (Ohio State), Jim Tressel (Ohio State), Mark Dantonio (Michigan State), Kirk Ferentz (Iowa), Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern), James Franklin (Penn State), Paul Chryst (Wis- consin), Ryan Day (Ohio State) and Bret Bielema (Wisconsin). U-M's other hires in that time frame ranked 15th (Brady Hoke) and 2 3 rd (Rich Rodriguez). Harbaugh, who was hired by Stanford in 2006 and posted a 29-21 record in three seasons at the helm of the perennial bottom feeder, also made an appearance on the site's ranking of the top 40 Pac-12 football hires since 2000, checking in at No. 3 — behind only Pete Carroll (USC) and Chip Kelly (Oregon). Aidan has had nothing but great things to say, and it was interesting — Aidan also said, 'Our practices in the spring have never been like this before. There's been so much energy, so much fun.' I'm hoping that translates onto the field, but Mac [defensive coordina- tor Mike Macdonald] is really excited about Aidan. He's doing everything he's supposed to do." — Former Michigan defensive lineman Chris Hutchinson, the father of junior defensive end Aidan Hutchinson 1