It’s hard to imagine, but Michigan has gone through three seasons with Jim Harbaugh as head coach.
Expectations were set so high when he arrived in Ann Arbor and many feel he’s not lived up to the hype yet.
It’s early July and fall camp is a few weeks away, so I’d thought this topic would be a fun one to get an idea where the fans stand.
What grade do you give Jim Harbaugh after three years at Michigan?
A few that cover college football chimed in and gave us their opinions:
Tom Luginbill, ESPN Recruiting/Scout
“I would give him a solid B. In fairness to Coach and his staff, it was too much too soon. They exceeded expectations early which upped the ante.” Luginbill added: “For me it is all about the quarterback position if he hits on one of these young guys they recruited or even Shea Patterson they have an opportunity to really elevate the program because I believe they recruited really good players at the other positions.”
“I think the best thing to happen to this program is for the first time since Jim was hired nobody’s really talking about them this off-season. I think this gives the team a chance to get to work focus on what is important not deal with a lot of external clutter. At the end of the day though when you’re the head coach of Michigan you have to beat Ohio State. Ask John Cooper.”
Jordan Strack, Sports Anchor/Reorter with WTOL-11 Toledo
“Grade: B-. It’s fair to say the honeymoon is over for Jim Harbaugh at Michigan. Frustration began to grow after Harbaugh’s team failed to beat their rivals again it 2018.
“I will give Harbaugh a break after his team took a step back in 2017. They were replacing a ton of NFL talent and the quarterback situation was a mess. The fact remains, in 2016, Michigan was a half-yard away from playing in the Big Ten Championship game and very likely the College Football playoff.
“2018 is a huge year for Jim Harbaugh. He enters the year with the most talented quarterback he’s had during his tenure at Michigan. His defense returns a ton of talent. This team should absolutely contend for a Big Ten Title and they should be a contender for a spot in the College Football Playoff. Anything less than that would be a disappointment.”
In my recent story with Bill Bender from Sporting News, his grade for Jim Harbaugh a “B” due to bringing the program back to national relevance. “But it’s winning time now,” he said.
A big thank you to Tom and Jordan for provide us with their opinions.
What grade did fans on Twitter give Jim Harbaugh?
Michigan fans, let’s have some fun.
— David Noe (@DavidRNoe) July 5, 2018
Poll: What grade do you give Jim Harbaugh after three years at Michigan? Remember what the program was like when he took over.
Make sure you comment why you selected that grade and if you’d add a plus or minus behind it.
To be honest, I’m somewhat surprised 77 percent of the 1,080 votes were above a C. That just shows you the small sample size actually think he’s doing well, given the fact he’s had some gut wrenching losses but had a mess to clean up. I read all the comments and if you haven’t it’s a good thread to check out. Here’s a response that had the most likes overall.
I voted A because of where we were at as a program. We hit rock bottom in my opinion. Have patience my friends we will be back.
— jon baushke (@jbaushkegoblue) July 6, 2018
Losing double-digit starters to the NFL caused Michigan to take a step back last season, and all things are shaping up for one heck of an exciting season this fall. Things are aligning with new personnel and players that are about to start their first season as a Wolverine.
How do you grade Jim Harbaugh after three years?
Chime in below and submit your vote.
Poll
What grade do you give Jim Harbaugh after three years at Michigan?
This poll is closed
-
3%
A
-
9%
A-
-
22%
B+
-
24%
B
-
14%
B-
-
8%
C+
-
6%
C
-
4%
C-
-
1%
D+
-
3%
D