Aidan Hutchinson takes us inside what it’s like to play for Jim Harbaugh
Aidan Hutchinson joined Sports Seriously to tell us his favorite Jim Harbaugh story while at Michigan.
Sports Seriously, USA TODAY
INDIANAPOLIS — It was a slight cosmetic change, the kind of subtle modification most people would fail to notice.
Just as he did last year at Big Ten media days, Jim Harbaugh wore a navy suit as he made the rounds Tuesday at Lucas Oil Stadium. But his yellow tie wasn’t the same. Harbaugh ditched the straight diagonal stripes and went with a pattern of oddly-shaped X’s and O’s that was louder, less congruent and more distracting. The piece of cloth hanging around his neck, in many ways, captured the essence of Harbaugh’s offseason with Michigan football and how different it was than his last.
A year ago, the coach made a conscious effort to bunker down, disappear from public view and insulate his team from any interference. The 2021 spring game was played behind closed doors and wasn’t televised as Harbaugh refrained from saying much about anything. Even as America began to reopen and COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, the Wolverines opted not to take a team trip.
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Away from the spotlight, Michigan quietly laid the foundation for a program revival. In the months ahead, Michigan transformed from a 2-4 eyesore into a 12-2 conference champion that played with precision and discipline. The Wolverines didn’t commit their first turnover of the season until the fourth quarter of their fifth game. They largely avoided the scourge of penalties, committing just 4.9 per contest. They covered all the details and excelled on special teams, earning the best grade in one national index. In short, they played like a team focused exclusively on football.
The question now is whether Michigan can channel the same level of concentration this fall after Harbaugh created a constant churn of headlines.
His protracted flirtation with the NFL carried on for the first month of the offseason, creating a climate of uncertainty at a time when Michigan should have been riding a wave of momentum. He then welcomed a sideshow in April, when he invited former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick to stage a throwing exhibition during halftime of the spring game that resurfaced on the Big Ten Network. Most recently, Harbaugh weighed in on the thorny issue of abortion, causing a stir both in Ann Arbor and far beyond the local community.
Before arriving in Indianapolis on Tuesday, Harbaugh and his team began galivanting around the state of Michigan after resurrecting the team-wide trip that had garnered so much publicity in the past when they jetted off to France, Italy and South Africa. This latest tour is unfolding right before the start of preseason camp, which is set to begin next Wednesday.
“I would say we’re in a better place right now than we were a year ago at this time and possibly where we left off last season,” Harbaugh said.
That may have more to do with the players than Harbaugh and his coaching staff.
Harbaugh acknowledged he has taken a more laissez-faire approach to managing a talented group he says is the most “well-mannered” he has ever coached.
“I schedule less things now,” he said. “I honestly do. I know if they’re in the building they’re using every single minute and taking advantage of every opportunity.”
The idea is to not be content, quarterback Cade McNamara said. He has told his teammates they “can’t lay off the gas pedal at all.” That sentiment was echoed by senior Erick All.
“Complacency is cancer,” the tight end said. “If you get complacent, it’s over.”
That message has been delivered by the coaches, including Harbaugh.
But is he willing to make the necessary sacrifices to practice what he preaches?
That is uncertain. Harbaugh, after all, seems pretty pleased with his current lot in life. The negative narrative surrounding him is gone. He eliminated his chief bugaboo by beating Ohio State. He silenced critics who said he couldn’t win as an underdog. He led Michigan back to prominence and then was rewarded with a massive raise packed into a five-year contract extension. He now returns a team that seems destined to achieve double-digit victories for the second straight season.
Those around him have noticed how satisfied he appears, noting his big smile and laughter.
“I am happy,” he said.
The security he has earned once again has given him the license to revert to his old ways, when he made headlines for speaking his mind, orchestrating publicity stunts and becoming a lightning rod of attention. The man who has an office sign that reads, “Just coach the team,” has rarely done that.
The exception was last year, when he receded into the background and then followed the trajectory of the angled stripe on the tie knot he wore at this event 12 months ago. It may have seemed boring at the time. But it also worked.
Follow Rainer Sabin on Twitter @RainerSabin.
