Fans around the world celebrate the Michigan Wolverines national championship
University of Michigan fans, students and alumni from around the world celebrated their soccer team's national championship, its first since 1997.
Detroit Free Press
It's a feeling he's long dreamed of, but Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh acknowledged winning the national title was even better than he imagined.
“It starts over every day, you wake up and say, 'Yeah, we did that, we did that,'” Harbaugh told the Free Press on Friday during a team visit to CS Mott Children's Hospital at University of Michigan Health. “If you get through the day, there isn't too much that upsets me. I'm going to misplace my wallet, but hey, that's fine, we're national champions. Go to bed, wake up the next day and it starts again.” Just fresh again.
“I got the trophy in the trophy box, everything our boys have achieved is just wonderful. It's biblical. It was a journey, a physical journey, a mental journey, a spiritual journey and just a job well done.”
Harbaugh led UM to the top of the mountain after a 27-20 OT thriller over Alabama in the Rose Bowl (which happened to be Nick Saban's final game) and a 34-13 win over Washington, capping just the fourth 15-minute game . 0 season in college football history.
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The festivities continue with a parade through Ann Arbor on Saturday afternoon, followed by a sold-out event Saturday night at the Crisler Center – Harbaugh told returnee Jake Thaw on Friday that he heard tickets were sold out within three hours so quickly that UM had to start selling floor seats.
When he's not taking photos with the trophy, signing autographs or traveling around Southeast Michigan to various events, Harbaugh says he talks to players like quarterback JJ McCarthy who are discussing a return to school or a possible future in the NFL.
Harbaugh asked McCarthy about his future in early December, when the quarterback said he wanted to focus on the upcoming season. Now that it's in the rearview mirror, attention turns to the future as the deadline to enter the NFL Draft is set for Monday.
“Yes, I did,” Harbaugh said when speaking to McCarthy about what comes next. “I’ve had all these conversations with guys. Lots and lots of conversations, that’s what my days looked like, talking about the future of these guys.”
McCarthy, Donovan Edwards, Rod Moore, Makari Paige, Josaiah Stewart, Trente Jones and Quinten Johnson are a handful of players said to be undecided about their 2024 plans, and they aren't the only ones.
Harbaugh, 60, has explored NFL options each of the past two seasons – flying to Minnesota to interview with the Vikings on National Signing Day after the 2021 season and then speaking with Denver last offseason Broncos and Carolina Panthers – and his name is as hot as ever.
In late December, multiple media outlets reported that Harbaugh had hired NFL-affiliated agent Don Yee, who represents Tom Brady, Sean Payton and Jimmy Garoppolo, among others. However, Harbaugh never confirmed this publicly.
Michigan fans! Celebrate the national title with our two commemorative books: Blue Reign: The Story of the 2023 Michigan Wolverines' Legendary Run to the National Championship and Maize & Grand: Michigan's Epic March to the 2023 National Title – Pre-order now to save! You can also purchase a commemorative copy of the Detroit Free Press front page from the morning after UM's historic championship win and purchase our four-page special stadium section.
Until he told the Free Press on Friday that the two had been working together for a long time.
“Early December,” Harbaugh said of the time the two began dating.
The NFL coaching carousel is moving as quickly as ever. Regulars like Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll both left their positions this week, creating two of the seven open positions in the league.
Harbaugh said he is still absorbed in the aftermath of his team's national championship and has spoken little to no to Yee since he lifted the championship trophy Monday night in Houston.
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“I don’t think I even have time to talk to him right now,” Harbaugh said. “The game has been really, honestly, working on other people’s futures since the game. … I’m just excited to put the guys’ needs ahead of mine. I just enjoyed it, every minute, every second.”
Although Harbaugh said the two haven't spoken much in the past week, he said of Yee, “He works, he works hard.”
Harbaugh also works hard. But does he expect to be working hard in Ann Arbor in 2024?
“I enjoy every minute,” he said. “And every second.”
Contact Tony Garcia: [email protected]. Follow him at @realtonygarcia.