John and Jim Harbaugh Tell the story behind the well-known “Harbaugh-isms”
In his nine years as Michigan’s head coach, Jim Harbaugh amassed an extensive collection of ingenious catchphrases. Harbaugh doused the Wolverines with a constant diet of astute yet witty messages for his squad to process, from directives on how his players should “attack” every day to chants meant to foster unity.
Harbaugh met with the media team from the LA Chargers earlier this week, along with his brother, head coach John Harbaugh of the Ravens, to discuss the origins of all of his catchphrases. John began the humorous tell-all with a playful allusion to Michigan’s 2023 sign-stealing incident:
The number of times Jim Harbaugh has questioned his Michigan team, “Who’s got it better than us?” is hard to calculate. However, I’m interested to know how many gamers have said something other than “Nobody!”
In keeping with that same positive outlook, Harbaugh frequently gave his team the go-ahead to tackle each day with the utmost fervor—an excitement never witnessed before. The two Harbaughs debate if it is even feasible to achieve that.
The 15 games in the 2023 season were a magnificent run that perfectly captured the essence of what Michigan football means to so many. Which of his guys from the previous season, in Harbaugh’s opinion, really embodied a “enthusiasm unknown to mankind”?
Kris Jenkins would receive the accolade. When it comes to tackling problems in a fresh way, the Harbaughs have never shied away from a challenge, and the National Championship-winning former Michigan coach has his own imaginative suggestion for a new coach.
Harbaugh has always encouraged his players to have a “attitude of gratitude,” but in 2015, the Chargers coach offered a fresh interpretation of the term, at least for those who weren’t John Baxter, Michigan’s special teams coordinator.
Force Multiplier: who is the true proprietor of this term? Though the Harbaugh brothers still use the name occasionally, John Harbaugh believes it has origins in the armed forces.
After a recent argument between the two astute coaches, the Brothers Harbaugh finally tore off the band-aid and called on their father, Jack, to settle the score—just like old times.