Michigan Wolverines’ Jim Harbaugh Named AP College Football Coach

Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh is Associated Press college football coach of the year after leading Werewolves to their first Big Ten title in 17 years, and a landing in the College Football Qualifiers.

Harbaugh is the first Michigan coach to win the AP Coach of the Year Award and the first coach on a Big Ten team since. Penn StateJoe Paterno of 2005.

“It’s been a huge reflection for the entire staff, the players,” Harbaugh told the AP. “Everybody shares it. The rising tide will lift all the ships.”

He received 22 out of 53 votes in first place and 103 points from a panel of the top 25 AP voters to finish first. CincinnatiLuke Fickell’s, who got 16 votes in first place and 88 points.

BaylorDave Aranda came in third and the state of MichiganMel Tucker’s fourth.

Harbaugh enters his seventh season as his alma mater on the hot seat after going 2-4 on the Big Ten’s short schedule in 2020. After a failed first season with Michigan, Harbaugh suffered a pay cut and reduced buybacks, leaving the school in a better position to make a coaching change if this season doesn’t go well.

Harbaugh also had personnel changes in the defense during the early part of the season.

Everything came together for the Wolverines this season as they beat Ohio State overcame an eight-game losing streak in the competition and made it to the Big Ten title game for the first time, where they beat Iowa.

Michigan 2 (12-1) faces 3 Georgia (12-1) in his first appearance at the College Football Round of December 31 at the Orange Bowl.

“I love this team. I love this ’21 team,” Harbaugh said. “They took a giant leap every day. They always had a smile on their face. They worked incredibly hard.”