Kirk Ferentz: Where Does He Rank Among Big Ten Coaches?
By Jeremy Karll
No. 2 – Jim Harbaugh, Michigan Wolverines (17-3)
Jim Harbaugh is great for college football, and the Michigan Wolverines being good is great for college football. That makes this duo a match made in heaven. Harbaugh was beloved while at Stanford and for a short time with the San Francisco 49ers, and he quickly turned Michigan back into the national powerhouse they are.
In his first season with the Wolverines, he led Michigan to #12 in the AP Poll, delivering the team their first bowl win and 10-win season since 2011. If that’s the transition period for a new coach then the rest of college football should be very worried about what’s in store once Harbaugh really gets going.
Harbaugh has led Michigan to a 7-0 start in 2016 and only Ohio State and the Big Ten Championship Game pose any threat to ending their undefeated season before the College Football Playoff. Michigan has had some good seasons since Lloyd Carr retired, but Harbaugh has brought them back to their glory days in just a matter of two years.
Besides, who wouldn’t want to play for him?
His khakis and glasses are iconic, he’s in rap videos and he just seems like a fun guy in general who really knows their football. Not to mention Michigan has cool looking Jordan jerseys and are historically one of the best football programs in the nation.
It’s shown as Michigan’s 2016 recruiting class ranked fourth in the nation and they rank 11th in the nation in 2017. Although, Harbaugh is definitely not happy with those results since Ohio State finished ahead of them both years.
Still, Harbaugh will be with Michigan for as long as he wants. He knows how to coach and get the most out of his team. He recruits extremely well and wins wherever he goes.