Nancy Turner
Jan 25, 2024 - 03:00

Jim Harbaugh Michigan legacy: wins, controversy, and unforgettable nine years

ESPN senior writer and 2-time Sports Emmy winner Jim Harbaugh leaves Michigan with a complicated legacy, leaving a cloud over the program.

Jim Harbaugh, a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com, is a 2-time Sports Emmy winner, and was named the 2010 and 2014 NMPA Writer of the Year. Today, the word "legacy" seems to carry a different meaning in the world of college football. In these strange times, every word feels altered from its original definition, especially when it comes to the lexicon of college football. As Jim Harbaugh departs the college game for the NFL Cinematic Universe, it's time to characterize the legacy of a decidedly different college football character.

Harbaugh spent nine full seasons on the sidelines of the Big House, three times longer than his stint at San Diego and more than twice as long as his terms at Stanford and with the San Francisco 49ers. His tenure was punctuated with a seemingly endless litany of stories that felt bizarre as they happened, but with the benefit of even some short hindsight, we can now view as images of a man with a willingness to buck the college football system.

From shirtless 51-year-old Harbaugh slinging passes during his coaching staff's "Summer Swarm" barnstorming football camp tour, to leading his team into Rome, the unconventional nature of his approach was evident. The wacky recruiting tales, overseas trips, and kooky social-media-saturating stories all proved to be building blocks for what was to come.

While critics may remind us of his two separate three-game suspensions this season, and the ongoing investigations into recruiting violations and sign-stealing, the reality remains unclear until the final reports are read aloud. When that happens, we will truly know what the Jim Harbaugh legacy will be. All we know for certain right now is that he will not be in Ann Arbor when that happens. The word "legacy" carries more heft and complication than its six little letters would suggest.