Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh: 'Couldn’t be more excited to lead this team into battle in the Rose Bowl'
PASADENA — Michigan Wolverines football head coach Jim Harbaugh is set to become the second individual to play and coach for U-M in a Rose Bowl, having appeared in two as a Wolverine quarterback. His team is in the College Football Playoff for the third-straight year and ready for a showdown with Alabama Monday afternoon in Pasadena.
When asked what he’s learned about Michigan’s past two CFP appearances, he spoke more to an increased level of desire to win the semifinal and national championship after falling short against Georgia in 2021 and TCU in 2022.
“Just that your dreams can come true, your goals can come true,” Harbaugh explained. “Our team is very definite that this is where they wanted to be. This is one of their goals — the goal. This is what we hoped for, what we worked for, exactly where we want to be. And now we’re just ready to have at it.”
There are regular old football teams, and then there are ‘ball teams,’ a phrase the Michigan coach has used over the years. This one falls in the latter category — one of his favorite groups he’s ever coached.
“Just being on a ball team. This is a ball team like … picture the favorite ball team you’ve ever been on — whether it’s high school, college, pro,” Harbaugh said. “This is a real ball team, and I just love it. Love our staff, love our players. Like Moses, I’m going to die leaning on my staff, and I couldn’t have a better staff to lean on. The players — a great piece on [Michigan senior running back] Blake Corum today that Marty Smith and ESPN did. Glad that people get to see the kind of kids that I get to coach. [Junior quarterback] J.J. McCarthy, he was born for this. Can’t wait to watch him compete. And every single guy I consider the same. It’s a joy to coach this team.”
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Harbaugh said he learned many “spiritual lessons” this season, with all the adversity his program and himself had to face. Harbaugh was suspended for six games due to two different controversies — one self-imposed due to recruiting violations and the other ordered by the Big Ten in unprecedented fashion following sign-stealing accusations against a former junior level staffer.
“In a lot of ways, it has been a spiritual journey,” the Michigan coach said. “It’s been a mission. It’s daily, weekly, monthly, it’s a year now — one year with this team, that they’ve been on this mission. It’s been a happy mission; it’s been a joy to watch guys make the choice to play as a team, to be unselfish, to play for each other, to give it their very best.
“As I said before, you know it when you’re on a real ball team, and that’s what our team is. [Former Michigan head coach] Bo Schembechler has talked many times about — and I, as a kid, heard it, I heard it when I played at Michigan — ’the team, the team, the team.’ In so many ways, this team is the team. Couldn’t be prouder, couldn’t be more excited to lead this team into battle in the Rose Bowl.”
It’s two days away, and Harbaugh is fired up.
