The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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JANUARY 2023 THE WOLVERINE 31 MICHIGAN FOOTBALL JIM HARBAUGH SAYS HE'LL BE BACK IN 2023 It wouldn't be a year ending in a num- ber if Michigan head coach Jim Har- baugh's didn't surface in NFL circles again, and this one is no different. NFL insider Ian Rappaport and others have reported that teams are showing inter- est in the Michigan coach after his back- to-back wins over Ohio State and Big Ten titles —which shouldn't surprise anyone given his success at all levels. To be clear, that doesn't mean Har- baugh has shown any interest — only that he's a hot commodity once again. "The NFL, it seems, isn't ready to close the door on Harbaugh," Rappaport wrote. "Sources say multiple NFL teams have been doing background work re- cently on Harbaugh, who led Michigan to the Big Ten championship and locked up a College Football Playoff bid with its 43-22 win over Purdue. "One NFL source plugged into the sit- uation said they believe Harbaugh would consider a return to the NFL, and a source with another team that could be running a head coaching search said they believe Harbaugh would discuss an opening if asked and weigh the right situation." Harbaugh was asked specifically about the subject during a Fiesta Bowl conference call Dec. 4. The Wolverines will play TCU Dec. 31, but some still wanted to ask about his NFL interest. "A lot of 'that-time-of-year' type of speculation," Harbaugh said of the ru- mors. "No man knows the future, but I think that people that think we've done a good job and are pleased with the job that we've done here at Michigan are going to be very happy to learn that I'll be back enthusiastically coaching the Wolverines in 2023. "And those people that don't approve of the job we've done and would rather see somebody else coaching here, I think they'll be most likely disappointed to learn that I'll be back coaching the Wolverines in 2023." He also openly wondered why other coaches aren't mentioned when the ru- mors arise. "Like I said … it's really biblical. No man knows the future. I can't make any vows of what's going to happen, what's not going to happen," Harbaugh said. "I might ask you a question … there are tre- mendous coaches right here in our league. Ryan Day, Greg Schiano, Bret Bielema, Jeff Brohm … I could go on and on. PJ Fleck. "I think they, with the job that they've done, deserved to be asked the same question." Harbaugh admitted he was extremely interested in the Minnesota Vikings' job last year. Sources told us then he was planning on taking it, but it wasn't of- fered to him, something he later seemed to confirm. "There was a tugging at me that I was once that close to a Super Bowl and I didn't get it," Harbaugh told Detroit Free Press columnist Mitch Albom. "Some NFL jobs came open. I was contacted by the Vikings. For better or for worse, it was something I wanted to explore. I went in thinking, 'I'm going to have 100 percent conviction on this, and if they [Minne- sota] have 100 percent conviction on this, then it's something I'm gonna do.'" And when it didn't materialize, he said he planned to be back at U-M for as long as athletics director Warde Manuel would have him. "Sure, the Super Bowl is the greatest prize in our sport," Harbaugh told Albom. "But winning a national championship, that's pretty darn great. Let's do that. "There was a pull to the NFL because I got that close to the Super Bowl, but this was the time [to look]. And this is the last time. Now … let's go chase col- lege football's greatest prize." For the second straight year, he's right on the doorstep. — Chris Balas J.J. MCCARTHY IN RAREFIED AIR In 2021, Cade McNamara led Michi- gan to a Big Ten title his first year as a starter — an incredible accomplish- ment. When prognosticators make their picks for conference champs, they're usually all over teams with returning starters at the most critical position — McNamara, though he had a few starts under his belt, certainly wasn't estab- lished, but he came through. The senior announced his transfer to Iowa after a season in which he lost the starting role and got injured in Game 3 against Connecticut. Sophomore J.J. McCarthy took the job and ran with it after an incredible performance against Hawaii, becoming the second straight U-M signal-caller to lead the Wolver- ines to the outright Big Ten champion- ship in his first season as a starter. McNamara and McCarthy, in fact, are the only two Michigan quarterbacks in the last four decades who can say that … "outright" being the key word. Several others shared a title in their first years under center, but only one other helped lead U-M to an outright champion- ship — Michael Taylor in 1988 — and he played in only eight games. He led the Big Ten in passing efficiency that year but broke his collarbone against Minne- sota in Game 8. He completed 75 of 122 passes during the season for 957 yards. Elvis Grbac completed 155 of 266 passes for 1,911 yards with 21 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 1990, his first year as a starter, and led Michigan to a four-way tie for the title. Tom Brady (200-of-323 passing for 2,427 yards with 14 touch- downs and 10 interceptions) led U-M to a co-championship with Ohio State but not the Rose Bowl in his first effort in 1998, and Drew Henson started every Big Ten game after missing the preseason in 2000. He, too, shared a title, though his Michi- gan team lost the tiebreaker. Finally, Chad Henne led Michigan to a co-championship in 2004 with 2,743 yards and 25 touchdowns as a frosh. The Wolverines made the Rose Bowl that year and lost a close one to Texas. — Chris Balas Harbaugh was quick to dismiss questions about NFL interest following the season. He said his focus is on chasing college foot- ball's greatest prize with the Wolverines. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER