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Jim's Excellent (Offseason) Adventure

Coach Harbaugh made the most of his first seven months on the job before closing the hatch on his maize and blue submarine and going into hiding. How did he spend his days? Let's relive them together.

By Kevin Bunkley
Leon Halip/Getty Images

Jim Harbaugh was hired on December 30th. Much of his time in January was spent shoring up a recruiting class before National Signing Day in February. After that, Harbaugh was everywhere, ascending to cult hero status before coaching a game. This is a dramatic retelling of Jim's Excellent (Off-season) Adventure.

He first attended a Garth Brooks concert:

Harbaugh then flew to Oakland, California to be a base coach for the A's:

Stopped for a meal at a Tennessee Cracker Barrel and was given a wooden chair just because:

Decided to learn the piccolo during on-set visit to College Gameday:

Received a new hat from Bay-area rapper G Eazy as thanks for attending his concert:

In April, Harbaugh held his first spring game as Michigan's head coach, and not until after did we learn that growing up, Harbaugh drank a lot of milk.

Then, he drove over to Detroit to visit the First Lady during a ceremony for some graduating kids:

From there, Harbaugh flew to New York City to talk to the members of UM's NYC Alumni Club:

And while in New York, met Lynda Carter, better known as Wonder Woman:

Harbaugh was quickly off to Peru to visit a school and give a speech to some kids who will now attack their studies with enthusiasm unknown to man:

Less than a month later, Harbaugh ended up in Selma, Alabama to walk on the Pettus Bridge:

But he also had to run one of his satellite camps in Alabama, and appeared without a shirt on:

Four days later, visited an American Hat Company store, for some reason:

Back in Ann Arbor, he decided to walk down the sidewalk with recruit Naseir Upshur, and built up his street cred:

Street cred restored, Coach Harbaugh chose to get a Michigan driver's license so as to be able to drive the team bus to the stadium on Saturday mornings (allegedly):

Closed out the month of June with a visit to a Tigers game and threw out the first pitch. Alex Avila later complained of a sore hand:

After the Fourth of July, Harbaugh appeared in Paris, France, breaking the Twitter feeds of travel agents around the world:

Just a few weeks ago, went to a stage performance of "Ernie":

Harbaugh then suddenly appeared in Washington, D.C., having broken bread with the nine Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States. All reports indicate Harbaugh had Justice Clarence Thomas eating out of his hand, which is no task for a mere mortal.

...and then the coach quickly went back to work.

Harbaugh was deep in hiding until this past Monday, emerging for brief moments of sunlight and to refill his milk supply. He is everywhere, and he is now Michigan's. It is not a question of whether he will restore Michigan's program, but when and with what level of bonkers football methodology. Michigan has found their man after much wandering in the college football wilderness. The restlessness of the ghosts of Schembechler, Yost, Crisler, Oosterbaan and Canham has been calmed. Harbaugh will take the on Thursday night, and a hush will wash over the merry band of Michigan fans in attendance in Salt Lake City, each and every one of them content in knowing that their beloved program is now under the stewardship of this man in khakis.

I only wish we were all prepared for the jolt that will reverberate up and down our spines when Harbaugh steps onto that field, but we should get used to that feeling. We're in for a ride.

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