Jay Harbaugh shares how he's reacted to hearing criticism of his father

Throughout his career, Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh has taken on his fair share of criticism. However, in the 2023 season, the criticism of Harbaugh has reached a different level. That’s criticism that people around him and the Michigan program hear, including Jim’s son and the Wolverines’ special teams coordinator Jay Harbaugh.

Ahead of the College Football Playoff championship game against Washington, he spoke about the criticism he hears about his fathers, explaining that he’s used to hearing it at this point.

“I mean, it stinks, but you get so used to it,” Jay Harbaugh said. “That’s my entire life I’ve been accustomed to hearing other people’s opinions about my dad. So, I’m kind of numb to it. It doesn’t really bother me anymore. You build up a callus to it.”

Criticism of Jim Harbaugh has changed over the years. He has certainly been criticized for his approach as a coach, often acting strangely. That was particularly true early in his time at Michigan when he did things like sleeping over at a recruit’s house and drinking more milk than most other people do.

Those were goofy things, though. For years, on the field, the criticism of Harbaugh had a lot more to do with his lack of big game success. In particular, his struggles against Ohio State over the years. However, those criticisms have passed in recent years. Now, the focus tends to be on his recent suspensions and the sign-stealing scandal.

That sign-stealing scandal led to criticism for everyone in the Michigan program, including Jay Harbaugh, who Connor Stalions claimed to be close with. However, as long as he’s learned to be numb to criticism, it shouldn’t bother him too much.

Jim Harbaugh describes what the true meaning of a national championship would be for him

Ahead of the game, Jim Harbaugh shared what he thinks the true meaning of a national championship is for the team and for him.

“It would mean so much for our players, for them to know what it’s like to be champions. Just be simply referred to as national champions. And for their parents, for their parents to have their son be a champion, a national champion; for their grandparents to have a grandson; for their brothers and sisters to have a brother who is a grandson,” Harbaugh said.

“What it would mean to me, for my kids to know their dad is a national champion. And for my parents and my brother and my sister. That’s the overwhelming thing, just that so many people would be able to enjoy that, be a part of that. For my wife, for her husband to be a national champion. For me, not so much, but for everybody else, yeah, that would be huge.”