Jim Harbaugh and the No. 1 Michigan Wolverines capped a controversial season with a national championship on Monday, a win that, apparently, proved gratifying in more ways than one for the polarizing coach.
With a 34–13 win over the No. 2 Washington Huskies, Harbaugh, who missed six games due to two separate suspensions, brought an overdue title to Ann Arbor while joining an elite club within his own family. Based on his post-game reaction, Harbaugh’s pride is already overflowing for one key reason after joining father Jack and older brother and Ravens coach John as title-winning head coaches.
“Personally, I can now sit at the big person’s table in the family,” Harbaugh told reporters. “They won’t keep me over there on the little table any more. My dad, Jack Harbaugh won a national championship, and my brother won a Super Bowl. So, it’s good to be at the big person’s table from now on.”
As Harbaugh’s joke, which likely had some truth to it, alluded to, the 60-year-old coach is the first Harbaugh to win a title since John Harbaugh, 61, led the Ravens to Super Bowl XLVII—a triumph that occurred 11 years after Jack, a 19-year mid-major coach, led the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers to the 2002 NCAA Division I-AA crown.
"I can now sit at the big person's table in the family." -Jim Harbaugh 😂#NationalChampionship pic.twitter.com/Bd9SapCM5D
— ESPN (@espn) January 9, 2024
In addition to his family’s legacy, Harbaugh, a noted Wolverines alum and ex-quarterback, also added to his own within the program by becoming the fifth coach since 1960 to bring the natty home to his alma mater.
