College Football: 25 greatest head coaches of the 21st century
By Dakota Cox
Best college football coaches of 21st century: 22. Jim Harbaugh
- San Diego Toreros (2004-06)
- Stanford Cardinal (2007-10)
- Michigan Wolverines (2015-Present)
Some might think this is a bit low for Jim Harbaugh, but I am only focusing on what he has done at the college level. He was great in San Francisco, but his NFC Championship appearances won’t help him in these rankings. If this was just for football coaches in general, he might be in the top 10.
Harbaugh’s major college career as a head coach started with four years at Stanford. Stanford is a hard place to recruit, but he managed to turn the team around and become relevant quickly. Part of this was thanks to recruiting Andrew Luck and having David Shaw on his coaching staff.
When he came back to the college ranks to coach his alma mater Michigan, expectations were high. He has done well, but he has failed to win the big games. If things don’t change, Harbaugh will be known for his inability to beat Ohio State and make it to the College Football Playoff out of the Big Ten.
Harbaugh has been known for doing very well when he has a good quarterback. At Stanford, that quarterback was Luck. In the NFL, it was Colin Kaepernick and Alex Smith. Harbaugh hasn’t had that type of quarterback in Ann Arbor to this point.
Regardless, Harbaugh is a quality coach. Many of his college seasons had at least 10 wins. He’s known for being good, but he hasn’t been great yet. If he finally manages to beat Ohio State and improve his poor bowl record, he has the potential to live up to his name. We’ll just have to wait and see if this happens.