Michigan Football: Why Jim Harbaugh Will Thrive in Recruiting

Jim Harbaugh is a busy man. After his introduction last week, he holed up at Schembechler Hall and started working the phones to build his staff and touch base with recruits.

Then last weekend he found time to watch his brother coach the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL playoffs and call into The Rich Eisen Show, and next weekend he’ll be part of ESPN’s coverage of the CFP National Championship.

Harbaugh is everywhere, and his boundless energy will make Michigan a recruiting force to be reckoned with.

Despite having just finished a grueling NFL schedule (four preseason games and 16 regular-season contests) followed by a huge career decision that resulted in a move across the country, Harbaugh shows no signs of slowing down.

He’s working to complete his staff as he evaluates the returning talent on his roster and still has time to take photos with fans.

This week he had his first meeting with his new team. The meeting served as an introduction to a competitive environment unlike anything they ever have experienced before. Harbaugh has a reputation for measuring everything—every drill and every repetition will have consequences.

Nick Baumgardner of MLive.com described Harbaugh’s approach while at Stanford:

"

Everything was charted. Everything was out in the open. If a player underperformed in a lifting drill, it was plastered on the walls of the locker room for everyone to see…He wants players to compete. He singles out winners, and he singles out losers. He keeps detailed lists of how much each player has improved year-over-year in specific drills, exercises and random non-game statistics. So if a player comes to him upset he's not playing more, Harbaugh simply points to his chart let's it talk for him.

"

This open competition rewards hard work and dedication. Even 5-star recruits will need to prove they’re worthy of playing time just like second- and third-string players. His system provides clear metrics on how to earn playing time for every player on the roster.

As Michigan’s returning players face this new reality during winter conditioning, Harbaugh will hit the road for recruiting on January 15.

Position	Name	Status	Source
Defensive Coordinator/LB	D.J. Durkin	Confirmed	mgoblue.com
Defense DL	Greg Mattison	Confirmed	Pete Thamel (SI)
Defense DB	Greg Jackson	Pending	Sam Webb
Defense DE	Roy Manning	Interviewed	Various
Offensive Coordinator	Tim Drevno	Pending	Nick Baumgardner (MLIVE)
Offense (WR, QB, passing game coordinator)	Jedd Fisch	Confirmed	Wolverine247.com
Offense RB	Tyrone Wheatley	Interviewed	Sam Webb
Offense TE/WR	John Morton or Jimmy Doughtery	Rumored	footballscoop.com, LA Times
Special Teams Coordinator	John Baxter	Pending	Wolverine247.com
Strength & Conditioning	Kevin Tolbert	Confirmed	Nick Baumgardner

He has a unique set of experiences that will draw players to compete at Michigan. He can talk as a former athlete who has played for two legendary coaches (Bo Schembechler and Mike Ditka) and been a quarterback at Michigan and in the NFL. He also brings the perspective of a coach who has developed players for the NFL at Stanford and drafted players as a professional coach at San Francisco.

This experience coupled with his enthusiasm will draw players who appreciate competition and hope to play professionally.

His dedication to academics should also make him popular with parents who worry about future job prospects after the games end.

Harbaugh continues to duck opportunities to make predictions about when Michigan will beat its rivals or compete for a Big Ten championship. He says that he’s more worried about actually doing things than talking about them, but if he begins attracting top talent, there will be no way to contain expectations in Ann Arbor.

Phil Callihan is a featured writer for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotations obtained firsthand

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