You can bet that Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh is feeling pretty good right now.
All of the work and sacrifice that head coach he endured in his quest to return his alma matter to its past glory was lifted off his shoulders this past weekend as he accepted the Big Ten Championship trophy following his team’s dominating victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes at Lucas Oil Stadium. Of course, that came on the heels of his first ever coaching victory over the hated Ohio State Buckeyes the previous week.
Of course, Harbaugh entered the season under a cloud of scrutiny after having his salary reduced in half by Michigan as questions continued to abound on whether or not he was indeed the right man for the job. But those questions have been put to rest in recent weeks – and while Harbaugh himself may not be throwing it back in the faces of his critics, others certainly are.
Just take a look what what his brother John, current head coach of the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens, had to say:
John Harbaugh on his brother Jim Harbaugh, who won The AP college football coach of the year: "He's always been a great coach. All those who want to pile on, especially some of the local media there, there you have it. Back in your face. He would never say it. But I'll say it."
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) December 10, 2021
Of course, it wasn’t Harbaugh’s brother who have praised the Michigan coach in recent days. Take a look at several more reactions:
Tom Osborne couldn't win the big one, and then he did. Mack Brown couldn't win the big one, then won, like, the biggest game ever in 2005.
If you just keep fielding really good teams, the narrative could eventually shift in your favor. It officially has for Jim Harbaugh.
— Bill Connelly (@ESPN_BillC) December 5, 2021
"Jim Harbaugh deserves a lot of credit for the moves he made."@BruceFeldmanCFB gives big credit to Jim Harbaugh on winning AP Coach of the Year and his staff building.
Full interview on #B1GToday 📺➡️: https://t.co/cJU42cfaxy pic.twitter.com/aTSScyyLJo
— Michigan On BTN (@MichiganOnBTN) December 10, 2021
My guy! We may need to compare hardware? https://t.co/FjpNuGOjQZ
— Juwan Howard (@JuwanHoward) December 10, 2021
Chilling with the coach of the year 😅〽️ pic.twitter.com/ks3XILBM8v
— “CJ” STOKES (@CapersStokes) December 10, 2021
A win for Jim Harbaugh, and a win for the entire Michigan athletic department
AP Coach of the Year nets Harbaugh another $75,000 bonus, which he vowed to give back to those in the department who took pay cuts last year because of COVID https://t.co/4sc6GiMOVA
— Joel Sebastianelli (@JJSebastianelli) December 10, 2021