Make no mistake: Jim Harbaugh is him.
Despite a tumultuous season, Michigan finished a perfect 15-0 with the Wolverines’ first national championship in 26 years and first outright title since 1948. The accomplishment marks the largest achievement in Harbaugh’s storied football career.
When asked what’s next following Monday’s championship win, Harbaugh said “that’ll check the biggest box.”
“For me, personally, just to be part of the family,” he joked before clarifying. “With my dad, who won a national championship with Western Kentucky in 2002, and John Harbaugh, who won the Super Bowl 2012 season, 2013 Super Bowl. I get to sit at the big person’s table now. That feels really good. Just to be the only coach in your only family that hasn’t won a national title or Super Bowl, the championship, that feels great, personally.”
Notably, the Michigan coach was on the opposing side from his brother during the Ravens’ last Super Bowl win.
While that answer was Harbaugh’s attempt to shift the postgame interviews away from NFL rumors, he was asked again, this time specifically about winning a Super Bowl.
” I just want to enjoy this,” said Harbaugh. “I just want to enjoy this. I hope you give me that. Can a guy have that? Does it always have to be what’s next, what’s the future?”
Despite that, Tuesday was filled with growing rumors about a potential return to the NFL for Harbaugh.
Jim Harbaugh celebrates his team winning the 2023 Big Ten Championship. (Tony Patroske/The Pit Media)
Don’t count on it
Over the weekend, one insider spoke anonymously with TPM about those NFL rumors and coach Harbaugh, stating not to count on Harbaugh leaving.
They said that Harbaugh wants his kids to grow up in Ann Arbor and have the same experiences he had when his father coached under Bo Schembechler — a sentiment Harbaugh himself has shared publicly at times. The man loves the university.
That being said, the source also stated that nobody, including Harbaugh’s own wife, knows what he’ll end up doing. He did add though, that if he does leave Michigan, it’s because it seems like everybody wants him to, from the media to the fans to the NCAA.
“And just one last thing,” Harbaugh continued to say when asked about a Super Bowl. “I’ve got two great loves. My love at work, the people I work with — coaches, the staff, players. And the love I have for my family at home. It just means a lot. I see a couple of the kids right here — Jimmy, Grace, Sarah, Johnny, Jack, Katie, Addi — the loves of my life.”
While a return to the NFL is not out of the question if the right opportunity arises, all signs seem to point to Harbaugh remaining in Ann Arbor.
Getting Ink’d up
What is for certain, however, is Harbaugh says he will be getting his first tattoo.
He said before the season, he told his team if they went 15-0, he’d get one to commemorate the achievement.
“I’m going to put it on my shoulder — I don’t know if it’s my left or right yet,” he said. “I’m a right-handed quarterback, I’ll probably get it on my right.”
Harbaugh said he would be getting a Maize and Blue Block M, which has a double meaning: M is the Roman numeral for 1,000.
“Can’t tell you what that means to us, too, that we reached a thousand wins this year,” said the coach. “And where are we at now, a 1,003, four? I lost count. 1,004. 1,004! Four. One of my favorite numbers!”
Harbaugh then praised all the coaches, players and administrators — past and present — for being a valued part of the Michigan football community. He ended with this:
“To reach a thousand wins and win the national championship in the same year, man, doesn’t get much better than that. I would really ask you that. Who could possibly have it better than us? Nobody!”
