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Michigan Football: 3 reasons why Jim Harbaugh owns college football
Apr 15, 2017; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Jim Harbaugh is seen during the Michigan Spring Game at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Michigan football is 20-6 in the past two seasons thanks in part to head coach Jim Harbaugh and here's why he owns college football.
The Michigan football program was largely irrelevant before head coach Jim Harbaugh's arrival in 2015. Harbaugh is familiar with the college football game. He was a head coach with the Stanford Cardinal from 2007-2010 before heading to the NFL.
After a four-year stint with the San Francisco 49ers, Harbaugh has since returned to his college football roots. As he continues his career, he continues to make noise as a solid recruiter, and rule-bender.
In the 2017 NFL Draft, Michigan led the way with 11 total players selected throughout the three days of picks. Some critics would argue that those picks weren't Harbaugh's but former head coach Brady Hoke's, which I agree.
Harbaugh also posted a top recruiting class this past cycle for 2017 after signing 30 players to Michigan. The Wolverines recruiting class ranks sixth on ESPN, fourth on Rivals and fifth on 247Sports.
While the offense is still a work in progress, help is on the way. Harbaugh signed five wide receivers to this year's class, with two of them enrolling early. They will be needed as not much on-field experience returns in the receiving core.
As he continues to bring the Michigan Wolverines to powerhouse status, here's a look at three reasons why he currently owns college football.
Apr 15, 2017; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Jim Harbaugh and assistant Pep Hamilton during the Michigan Spring Game at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
3. Jim Harbaugh attracted the Jordan brand
The Michigan Wolverines football program was struggling before 2015. Before Jim Harbaugh arrived as head coach, the Wolverines hadn't won more than 10 games since 2011. They achieved double-digit victories twice since 2006 before Harbaugh's arrival.
In his first season, Michigan went 10-3. This past season again they went 10-3 again, with nothing to hang their heads about. No, they didn't win a Big Ten title nor did they make the College Football Playoff, but look at how far they've come.
After all, they are the first-ever football program to be sponsored by the Jordan Brand, primarily a basketball company. The deal turned a lot of heads around the country. It was made after Harbaugh's first season as head coach. The 15-year deal is set to make the University of Michigan a whopping $173.8 million.
While the sponsorship benefits all of the athletic programs, there are a lot of incentives that go towards success on the football field. More details on the deal can be viewed here.
Nike will pay Michigan football the following for accomplishments:
* $10,000 for a Big Ten title game appearance
* $20,000 for a Big Ten title game victory
* $25,000 for a CFP semifinal appearance
* $50,000 for a national title game appearance
* $100,000 for a national title
What Jim Harbaugh has brought to the Michigan program is a sense of renewed culture. They haven't had a coach have back-to-back 10-win seasons since Lloyd Carr did so back in 2002 and 2003.
Dec 30, 2016; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh catches passes prior to the game against the Florida State Seminoles at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
2. Offseasons with Harbaugh are an adventure
Most teams spent their spring camps preparing for the fall, not Jim Harbaugh's club. Instead, they traveled to Italy where they spent eight days touring different tourist attractions.
Even better, Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines also got the opportunity to meet the Pope. Harbaugh subsequently gifted the Pope with a Michigan football helmet and a pair of Jordans. It was the first time an FBS team ever traveled abroad for the spring.
Before that, Harbaugh took his team to IMG Academy in Florida, one of the most talent-filled high schools in the country, where he held spring practice. Harbaugh challenged the conventions of the college football rulebook by hosting practice in front of a number of Michigan recruits early in the offseason.
Harbaugh even went shirtless at a satellite camp he hosted at Prattville High School in 2015. Here, the coach talked about "outsmarting the system". While some conference rules prohibit coaches from appearing or coaching at camps 50 miles from campus, Big Ten rules at the time did not.
As he continues to challenge the conventions and ruffle feathers, Jim Harbaugh continues to remain one step ahead of the rulebook.
Apr 15, 2017; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Jim Harbaugh is seen during the Michigan Spring Game at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
1. Remember the "Harbaugh Rules"
Let's be honest the college football system isn't totally perfect. In a system that largely exploits the student-athletes, there's not much that helps more than getting players to the next level. So far, Jim Harbaugh has done that.
Even more, he's had a set of rules named after him. It's hard to say someone don't "own" college football when a specific set of rules are named after them.
It hasn't happened to Nick Saban (Alabama) since 2008 with the 'Saban rule' or Urban Meyer (Ohio State) and they've been around for awhile.
In two seasons, Jim Harbaugh has produced the "Harbaugh rules" and after his trip to the Vatican, more changes are sure to come.
As he continues to push the envelope, Harbaugh doesn't seem bothered by much. He seems a lot more interested in helping kids to get to the next level.
Safety Jabrill Peppers saw his stock rise all the way to Heisman finalist status in 2016. After being used in a multitude of ways in the Wolverines playbook last season, Peppers became a top-pick by the April draft.
He made plays all-season long to have a memorable season which culminated in him being drafted as the 25th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns.
We'll see what happens this offseason with rules changes. Jim Harbaugh continues to make his mark either way with more to come next season.
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