Former 49er coach Jim Harbaugh has been hired at his alma mater, Michigan. He will revitalize the Michigan football program and return that institution to its place in the prestigious football hierarchy that it has historically occupied. His firing will leave the 49ers in a precarious position. They have significant talent, but he was the inspiration for their resurrection.
I represented Jim as a player during his NFL career, but did not do his coach contracts. When I showed up to meet him in Ann Arbor in 1987, he reluctantly answered the door wrapped in a sheet. He had the flu and a bad fever and wanted to postpone our meeting. He suggested postponing, but I had flown all the way from California to meet, and he croaked "just wait a few minutes." He emerged a few minutes later, fully dressed, and showed intense focus in our discussion on representation. That is Jim Harbaugh, he is a gamer.
When he was drafted by the Bears as their first-round draft pick in 1987, he had a bad case of the chicken pox. His face was filled with pox. After his initial press conference in Chicagom I asked the reporters how he had done. "He was great," I was told, "and he would be very handsome if he just had a better complexion." Again, that is Jim Harbaugh, he shows up in difficult situations.
Mike Ditka coached the Bears and was especially rough verbally on his rookie quarterback. Jim never complained. He was the son of a coach, and just kept trying to get better. He led the Bears to many thrilling victories, as he did later with the Colts. They called him "Captain Comeback." He never thought a game was un-winnable.
He was always popular with his teammates and the fans. He had a great sense of humor and did things like call "The Jim Rome Show” on radio in the great Smack-off. Was he intense? Absolutely. Infused with a desire to win.
He decided post-career to coach, and won everywhere he went. He transformed the University of San Diego program and turned Stanford into a powerhouse. He took a San Francisco 49er program and turned it around. Three years, three playoff appearances, a .680 winning percentage and an appearance in the Super Bowl. This was a tougher year with a roster decimated by injury.
His conflict with administrators involves details we are not privy to. It is likely a function of Jim’s unrelenting drive for perfection. He pushes for the best facilities, the best treatment of assistants, the ideal conditions for players. This can be uncomfortable for executives who feel he is never satisfied. He’s not -- he pushes the envelope for excellence. He has his quirks, and they make him more interesting to be around.
Michigan will love Harbaugh. He has a strong and consistent plan for how to build a program. He will win over parents and players and be a formidable recruiter. He will attract great assistant coaches. He loves his alma mater and will represent it well. He is not a boring, vanilla personality. He will inspire and instill competitive fire in young athletes. And Michigan will once again be a power to be reckoned with on the gridiron.
-- Leigh Steinberg has represented many of the most successful athletes and coaches in football, basketball, baseball, hockey, boxing and golf, including the first overall pick in the NFL draft an unprecedented eight times, among more than 60 first-round selections. His clients have included Hall of Fame quarterbacks Steve Young, Troy Aikman and Warren Moon, and he served as the inspiration for the movie "Jerry Maguire." Follow him on Twitter @leighsteinberg.
College Football Coaches Working At Alma Mater
Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
As a junior in 1985, Harbaugh led the Wolverines to a final national ranking of No. 2 after a 10–1–1 season that culminated with a win against Nebraska in the Fiesta Bowl. Harbaugh finished third in the Heisman voting as a senior while leading Michigan to the Big Ten championship and a spot in the Rose Bowl, where the Wolverines lost to Arizona State 22-15. Harbaugh was the Bears' first-round pick in 1987 and played 14 NFL seasons.
Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
Harbaugh is headed back to Ann Arbor after four seasons with the 49ers that included three consecutive NFC championship games and a Super Bowl appearance. In his fourth and final season at Stanford, Harbaugh led the Cardinal to a 12-1 record, a win against Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl and a final national ranking of No. 4.
Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech
Beamer was a three-year starter at cornerback for the Hokies in the 60s, when Virginia Tech twice went to the Liberty Bowl after nearly two decades of not going to a bowl at all. After working his way up the coaching ranks, Beamer became Virginia Tech coach in 1987.
Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech
Under Beamer, Virginia Tech has had 22 consecutive winning seasons and bowl appearances, including six BCS games. The Hokies just capped their 2014 season by defeating Cincinnati 33-17 in the Military Bowl in Annapolis as Beamer worked the game from the press box while recovering from throat surgery. He has turned down opportunities to leave Virginia Tech.
Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State
Gundy was the Cowboys quarterback in the late 80s when he shared a backfield with Barry Sanders and Thurman Thomas, and helped the team win two bowl games. Gundy's streak of throwing 138 passes without an interception to begin his career stood as an NCAA record until Robert Griffin III broke it in 2008. He began his coaching career as an assistant with Oklahoma State. He also held assistant posts at Baylor and Maryland.
Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State
After serving as offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State, Gundy was promoted to head coach when Les Miles left for LSU in 2005. The program progressed gradually under Gundy, with the highlight being the 2011 season that featured a Big 12 championship, a 41–38 win against Stanford in the Fiesta Bowl and a final national ranking of No. 3.
Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern
Fitzgerald was a two-time All American linebacker who helped the Wildcats win back-to-back Big Ten championships in the mid-90s. In 1995 he won the Nagurski and Bednarik awards as the nation's best defensive player. He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern
Fitzgerald was thrust into the job at age 40 when Wildcats coach Randy Walker died suddenly in the summer of 2006. Fitzgerald led Northwestern to its first bowl win since the 1949 Rose Bowl by beating Mississippi State in the 2013 Gator Bowl. But the team has struggled with consecutive 5-7 finishes after that 10-3 season.
David Shaw, Stanford
Shaw was a receiver for the Cardinal in the early 90s, under coaches Dennis Green and Bill Walsh. He made 57 receptions for 664 yards and five touchdowns. Shaw was an assistant for nine years in the NFL with the Eagles, Raiders and Ravens. He joined Jim Harbaugh's staff at University of San Diego in 2006.
David Shaw, Stanford
When Harbaugh got the job at Stanford, Shaw came him with him as offensive coordinator. Then after Harbaugh was hired by the 49ers in 2011, Shaw was named his successor at Stanford. The Cardinal won the Pac-12 championship in 2012 and 2013.
Kliff Kingsbury, Texas Tech
Kingsbury won the Sammy Baugh Award as the nation's best passer in 2002 when he threw for 4,445 yards with 41 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Kingsbury appeared in one NFL game with the Jets in 2005. He began coaching with the University of Houston in 2008. He was Texas A&M's offensive coordinator in 2012 when Johnny Manziel won the Heisman.
Kliff Kingsbury, Texas Tech
Kingsbury was hired as Texas Tech coach in December 2012 after Tommy Tuberville left for Cincinnati. The Red Raiders went 8-5 in 2013, including a 37-23 win against Arizona State in the Holiday Bowl. Injury issues contributed to a 4-8 season in 2014.
Paul Chryst, Wisconsin
Chryst was the Badgers quarterback in the mid-80s. His coaching career has included stints with the old World League of American Football and the CFL as well as college programs, including Oregon State and Illinois State. He had two separate tenures as a Wisconsin assistant, first as tight ends coach and then as offensive coordinator.
Paul Chryst, Wisconsin
After seven seasons as offensive coordinator with the Badgers, Chryst became Pitt head coach in 2012. He went 19-19 in two seasons with the Panthers. When Gary Andersen left Wisconsin for Oregon State after the 2014 season, the Badgers hired Chryst.
