Michigan Football: Those who stay can be champions with Jim Harbaugh

Shockwaves flowed through social media and to anyone who follows Michigan football about the news that their best coach since Lloyd Carr is staying home.

There will be no Luke Fickell, no Matt Rhule, no Matt Campbell, or anyone else that is going to coach the University of Michigan football program for the foreseeable future. It is going to be the man who brought them to its first Big Ten title in 17 long years, a playoff berth, and most importantly-a win over Ohio State.

That man’s name is Jim Harbaugh.

One of Michigan football’s favorite sons is foregoing the NFL to remain home in the place where he was born to be. He flirted with the pros, but deep down he knows, as well as everyone else who roots for the maize and blue, that Michigan is such a very special place to be at, it’s hard to say goodbye to a place that he’s practically married to.

Harbaugh is back for good Michigan

Guys like Harbaugh don’t come around that often in a lifetime. He was privileged enough to play at Michigan, let alone put on the maize and blue uniform at the most well-known position on a football field. Then he worked his way up the coaching ranks to etch his name in stone as one of the fortunate men throughout history to be called the head coach of Michigan football.

His legacy is still being written, but he’ll always be remembered as the man who finally got Michigan back to where they die to be in the hysteria-driven sport. He takes a lot of abuse that is warranted in some cases, but he’s doing a job that few can equal, especially in today’s college football landscape.

Whether people like him or not he is an honorable person. He didn’t lie bout his intentions to gauge his NFL interest and the money he earned by reaching the goals he did in 2021, he gave back to those within the Michigan sports community. He’ll likely sign another contract extension sometime soon that will make him more money and incentives to do more of the same in 2022 and beyond.

Now with this circus behind him, he can focus on getting Michigan football back to the promised land on a consistent basis. That means keep proving the habitual negative people wrong and forcing them to change their mind or at least challenge their insane beliefs of him.

The conversation shifts to who will be his new defensive coordinator with Mike Macdonald returning to his brother’s staff.

Recently hired Mike Elston or even Steve Clinkscale would be respectable hires, but Larry Foote might just be the home run hire that Harbaugh needs to keep his defense above the rest.

If he doesn’t take a job in the NFL, then Foote should be the number one candidate for the job, unless someone better comes along.