He was at Michigan and I was covering his team and him for The Detroit Free Press and we were both captivated by the charisma and awe of Bo Schembechler, then Michigan coach Bo Schembechler.
Harbaugh in a letter to Michigan Harbaugh: 'There are no turnarounds in Michigan'Pete VolkThe ex- Wolverines quarterback was introduced to his school of choice Tuesday.Fan loses bet, and raises money to pay for Harbaugh tattooSeth RosenthalHe did not place the bet with anyone He just created the conditions for a horrible tattoo. Harbaugh speaks to Michigan Harbaugh: 'There aren't any turning points at Michigan' Fan loses bet, raising funds to pay for Harbaugh tattoo
It wasn't any other way with Bo. When you played with the man or wrote about his, his direct, blunt and honest yet wise sincerity grew. As a player Harbaugh did not agree with his opponent. As an author, I didn't agree with Harbaugh's writing. But his tenacity and honesty could not be denied. He got you thinking. He encouraged you to take a second look , and occasionally a third.
This is the essence of Jim Harbaugh, the blueprint he followed for over 14 seasons of Madden NFL 24 playing career as well as for all of his head coaching jobs at the University of San Diego, Stanford and the San Francisco 49ers. Their parents, Jack and Jackie, helped to lay the foundation. Schembechler along with Mike Ditka were coaches who contributed to the cementing of it.
Harbaugh is back to his roots. He described it as"a "homecoming."
Becoming the 20th and final head coach for Michigan is something he said that he'd dreamed about. Now, he said that it's time to make it happen.
It's time to go, partly because his relationships with 49ers management became so frosty and fractured that a split was in order. It seems that it reached its peak during contract talks prior to last season, during which the 49ers made him feel useless. If you create Jim Harbaugh feel unappreciated, marginalized, and unworthy or unworthy, he's not a kind of person to stay around. This is partly, because there's a demand at Michigan football, and a call to be answered. A door that is open, a large-spread embrace, love and that feeling of being valued was a blanket laid over him by Michigan the leadership. Michigan's desire and attitude captivated him.
"This is a choice I made from my heart,"'' Harbaugh said.
Many pundits said that Harbaugh could never be let go of Madden NFL 24 in the role of coach. They didn't understand the lasting pull of Bo or Harbaugh's love and devotion to Michigan. His desire to feel appreciated. Appreciated. Comfortable. The desire for one's ego to be stroked while his heart is touch.
He shared stories with me during my time at Michigan about how as a youth he kept individual statistics for his batting average in baseball, his scoring rate in basketball , and touchdowns in football. He knew them by heart. A few friends were reluctant to play with preteen Harbaugh because of his intense enthusiasm and his ego. It was in Michigan that Harbaugh learned the soul of Schembechler's main mantra: THE TEAM, THE TEAM The TEAM.
If you cause Jim Harbaugh feel unappreciated, unwanted, not worth it Jim Harbaugh isn't the type of person who will hang around.
In his first news conference regarding recruiting that he was selling something is something he "believes in the base.'' Selling something he believes in Mut 24 coins and also "you are familiar with your name." That will not be an issue, he said. He discussed relationships. Particularly renewing and strengthening meaningful ones at Michigan as well as in Ann Arbor.
And what he didn't tell us spoke volumes: that he left the 49ers with these kinds of relationships that were in disarray, broken and too damaged to repair.
He won't be content with the work he's made in coaching. That's yesterday's success. He'll push it all ahead. He will work hard.
Jim Harbaugh came back to Michigan for a fix, to restore what was cheap madden 24 coins damaged. To stress what is most important to him. To achieve peace. Standing on shoulders many men and to a location he values. Rebuild the things that Schembechler built. To repay. To be a good honoree.
The Wall