Jim Harbaugh Record at Michigan: How does the former Wolverines HC rank among the best coaches in college football?
The now former head coach of the Michigan Wolverines football team, Jim Harbaugh, is on his way back to the NFL after winning his first national championship in Ann Arbor. Serving as head tactician for the team from 2015 until last season, Harbaugh has likely solidified his legacy as among the most well-known head coaches for Michigan all time.
But where does Jim Harbaugh rank among these former Wolverines football coaches exactly? Here's a look at his record during his time with the team:
Jim Harbaugh's record at Michigan and all-time
Harbaugh coached a total of 114 games in Ann Arbor and amassed a very respectable win-loss record of 89-25, with no ties. This is good enough for a .781 winning percentage, which is good for seventh all-time among Wolverines football coaches (via Sports-Reference).
His relatively pedestrian Bowl record notwithstanding (3-6), Harbaugh was also able to guide Michigan to an amazing 40 wins in three seasons (via FOX Sports). This was the fourth time ever that a college football team has done it. And lastly, Michigan's spotless 15-0 record combined with a national championship made them just the sixth CFB team ever to put up such a record and win the title since 1894, meaning this feat hadn't been accomplished in almost 130 years.
As for all time, however, Harbaugh's record doesn't touch a lot of other legendary coaches' totals and percentages. For one, the highest winning percentage belongs to Notre Dame's Knute Rockne (.881). Next up, the most total wins ever by a CFB coach is held by Joe Paterno of Penn State, who won an insane 409 games in 49 years coaching the Nittany Lions (via ESPN).
Where does Jim Harbaugh rank among all-time CFB coaches?
With his national title, Jim Harbaugh now joins a veritable line of coaches who have won at least one. A single title might not sound much, but winning a national championship in college football is as tough as anything can get.
An article from Bleacher Report in 2014 did the math and found out that winning a college football national championship is in fact harder than winning the Super Bowl. Even crazier, the last 15 national CFB championships have been won by just four coaches: Nick Saban, Kirby Smart, Dabo Swinney and Urban Meyer (via FOX Sports). Compare that to the NFL, the last 15 titles were won by 12 different head coaches.
Saban's seven titles eclipse any other head coach in NCAA gridiron history. Below him is a man whose total titles he used to chase – fellow Alabama head coach and undisputed legend, Bear Bryant. But Saban and Bryant are certainly on a level all on their own, and that should not take away anything from Jim Harbaugh and this Michigan Wolverines team's accomplishments last year.