Inside Jim Harbaugh's unique turnaround at Michigan

The 2021 season sure felt like a make-or-break year for Jim Harbaugh. Michigan had a rough go during the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign, finishing with just a 2-4 record, and questions swirled about how much longer Harbaugh would be at his alma mater.

He turned that chatter into a College Football Playoff appearance and, at long last, a victory over rival Ohio State. Michigan continued its upward trajectory from there, making two more CFPs and beating the Buckeyes three straight times in a run that ended with a trophy in Houston earlier this month.

For Harbaugh, it marked a turnaround for the ages as he did what he set out to do: restore Michigan to greatness. But how he flipped the script is what stands out as Harbaugh’s time with the Wolverines came to an end and he heads back to the NFL with the Los Angeles Chargers.

“I think the uniqueness of this entire deal, because we are kind of expressing how it is kind of like two different tenures almost in the same time, is Harbaugh’s going to be an outlier here, guys, in terms of athletic directors’ patience,” On3’s Jesse Simonton told Andy Staples on Andy Staples On3. “He was winning in Michigan, but he wasn’t winning enough to the fans’ his expectations. Now, him being back at his alma mater, I think, certainly gave him a longer rope than a lot of other coaches.

“But the fact that he was able to not only stick it out, but to stick it out, pivot. He was a guy that was running the spread offense with Shea Patterson, and then really after the COVID year, was like, hey, let’s embrace physicality. Let’s embrace toughness. He kind of changed his whole philosophy, I think, with how he’s approached the players, behind the scenes stuff. Obviously, with guys like Ben Herbert, making some key hires. Going younger on his staff in general with guys like Sherrone Moore and others. And the fruit’s paid off.”

The 2023 season capped off a ‘remarkable arc’ for Jim Harbaugh at Michigan

The last two offseasons had a common storyline as Harbaugh flirted with the NFL in back-to-back years. In 2021, the Minnesota Vikings came calling and interviewed him on National Signing Day before ultimately hiring Kevin O’Connell. Last year, he was in talks with the Denver Broncos before they hired Sean Payton.

Heading into 2023, it didn’t feel like the question was “if” Harbaugh returned to the NFL. It seemed like he was gearing up for a return no matter what happened, especially after he served two suspensions during the season. There was likely even more motivation for Michigan to make a run at a title with so much talent coming back.

But the way the Wolverines did it — a 15-0 record with Harbaugh missing six games — was impressive. For Harbaugh, it was quite the way to go out.

“This whole entire season, the entire 2023 season, felt like Michigan with everybody knowing that this probably was Harbaugh’s last season, wanting to get back to the NFL, that they were pushing all their chips in. And it worked,” Simonton said. “He dialed up all the right numbers. The fact he was suspended for half the season when he only coached in six regular season games, and they still go undefeated. They then win the big Playoff game to beat Alabama, kind of slayed the giant that is the Tide, and then emphatically win a national championship. I mean, it’s kind of a remarkable arc, I do think.

“College football is gonna miss Jim Harbaugh just as a personality, as a character. There’s not gonna be a lot that’s written about that right away in this immediate aftermath. But he’s a guy that was piping off about the SEC six, seven years ago. Satellite camps and drinking milk and talking about sleeping over at recruits’ houses. To now, in the present day, he’s been kind of advocating for players rights. … Totally different. But still a great personality. He will be missed.”