Jim Harbaugh says he wants to be part of a Michigan football team that wins the Big Ten championship and the College Football Playoff in 2021, all while coaching unafraid of being fired.
The Michigan head coach unveiled his personal goals for the new year on Friday during a speech at the annual Michigan High School Coaches Association clinic, a regular stop for Harbaugh on the offseason speaking circuit.
Harbaugh said he’s asked his players, who are set to return to Ann Arbor this weekend to resume classes and begin the program’s offseason strength and conditioning program, to set their own individual goals for the year.
“It will be a joy to coach this team,” Harbaugh told a virtual audience of high school coaches. “It’s a young, talented team. Sometimes that’s the best team to coach, because young and not talented would not be a joy to coach. And sometimes (with) older and talented there’s other distractions.”
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Harbaugh shared a powerpoint presentation that included a single slide with a list of his six personal goals for 2021, days after he signed a four-year extension that will keep him under contract at Michigan through 2025. The pact includes a lower base salary — guaranteeing Harbaugh about $4 million per year — with lucrative incentives for winning the Big Ten’s East Division, league championship game and reaching the College Football Playoff.
Among his goals, Harbaugh said, was to “be a member of of the 2021 Big Ten and national champion Michigan football team.” The Wolverines are coming off a 2-4 season, Harbaugh’s worst on record since arriving in Ann Arbor in December 2014, and continue to chase Big Ten power Ohio State. Under Harbaugh, Michigan has not reached the Big Ten championship game nor qualified for the four-team playoff.
He later continued, perhaps most notably, expressing his desire to “not be scared of any man, moment, circumstance or of being fired,” he wrote. Harbaugh read verbatim from the goal list until he got to No. 6, when he opted to expand upon what was already written.
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“I will make no decisions based on my own personal job security,” Harbaugh said. “They will all be made in what is the best interest of our players and our football team.”
Harbaugh’s list of goals were laser-focused on creating a positive and successful culture. He expressed a desire to “raise all those with whom I come in contact (with)” and promote a positive work-place atmosphere “that supports teamwork, friendship and winning.”
Ultimately, Harbaugh hopes, that translates into success on the field.
“We’ll be attacking with enthusiasm unknown to mankind,” Harbaugh said. “It’s a very exciting time for us as a football team.”
On the coaching staff front, Harbaugh announced the hire of new running backs coach Mike Hart and said a defensive staff would be in place “very shortly.”
“I can’t make any announcements yet, until things are signed,” Harbaugh said. “But I’m very close to making all of those moves.”
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