Menu
  • Land of 10 Home
  • Football
    • Football News
    • 2017 Schedule
  • Recruiting
    • 2018 Recruits
    • Recruiting Articles
  • Basketball
    • Basketball Articles
    • 2017 Basketball Schedule
  • Big Ten West
    • Illinois
    • Iowa
    • Minnesota
    • Nebraska
    • Northwestern
    • Purdue
    • Wisconsin
  • Big Ten East
    • Indiana
    • Maryland
    • Michigan
    • Michigan State
    • Ohio State
    • Penn State
    • Rutgers
  • Big Ten News
  • Partners
  • Big Ten
    • All Big Ten News
    • Illinois Fighting Illini
    • Indiana Hoosiers
    • Iowa Hawkeyes
    • Maryland Terrapins
    • Michigan Wolverines
    • Michigan State Spartans
    • Minnesota Golden Gophers
    • Nebraska Cornhuskers
    • Northwestern Wildcats
    • Ohio State Buckeyes
    • Penn State Nittany Lions
    • Purdue Boilermakers
    • Rutgers Scarlet Knights
    • Wisconsin Badgers
  • ACC
    • All ACC News
    • Boston College Eagles
    • Clemson Tigers
    • Duke Blue Devils
    • Florida State Seminoles
    • Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
    • Louisville Cardinals
    • Miami Hurricanes
    • NC State Wolfpack
    • North Carolina Tar Heels
    • Notre Dame Fighting Irish
    • Pitt Panthers
    • Syracuse Orange
    • Virginia Cavaliers
    • Virginia Tech Hokies
    • Wake Forest Demon Deacons
  • Big 12
    • All Big 12 News
    • Baylor Bears
    • Iowa State Cyclones
    • Kansas Jayhawks
    • Kansas State Wildcats
    • Oklahoma Sooners
    • Oklahoma State Cowboys
    • TCU Horned Frogs
    • Texas Longhorns
    • Texas Tech Red Raiders
    • West Virginia Mountaineers
  • Pac-12
    • All Pac-12 News
    • Arizona Wildcats
    • Arizona State Sun Devils
    • Cal Golden Bears
    • Colorado Buffaloes
    • Oregon Ducks
    • Oregon State Beavers
    • Stanford Cardinal
    • UCLA Bruins
    • USC Trojans
    • Utah Utes
    • Washington Huskies
    • Washington State Cougars
  • SEC
    • All SEC News
    • Alabama Crimson Tide
    • Arkansas Razorbacks
    • Auburn Tigers
    • Florida Gators
    • Georgia Bulldogs
    • Kentucky Wildcats
    • LSU Tigers
    • Ole Miss Rebels
    • Mississippi State Bulldogs
    • Missouri Tigers
    • South Carolina Gamecocks
    • Tennessee Volunteers
    • Texas A&M Aggies
    • Vanderbilt Commodores

Q&A: Jay Harbaugh won a Super Bowl with his uncle, now chasing a National Championship with his father

Jay Harbaugh grew up watching his dad play quarterback in the NFL, and now he's coaching alongside him.
Isaiah Hole/247Sports
Brandon Justice
Brandon Justice
@LandOfJustice
Posted 1 year ago

Could you imagine making a national title run alongside your father?

That’s a reality for Michigan TE/Special Teams coach Jay Harbaugh, the son of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh.

It didn’t all start at Michigan for Jay Harbaugh, who was a grad assistant at his alma mater Oregon State from 2008-11, and then spent some time in the NFL with his uncle, Ravens coach John Harbaugh, as a quality control assistant for Baltimore.

When his father took the coaching job at Michigan, Jay joined Jim as the tight ends coach in 2015. And since the exit of former special teams coach John Baxter, Harbaugh got the role of special teams coach added to his duties.

What is it like to be the son of Jim Harbaugh? And what is it like to call him his boss?

Jay Harbaugh dished on that and more in this week’s Q&A.

LandOf10: What’s it like coaching with your dad? Was that what you dreamt of growing up?

Harbaugh: “It’s fun, I enjoy it. I enjoy learning from him, and being around him, and watching the way he does what he does. I’m enjoying it every day.”

LandOf10: While your dad is coaching, do you hear him tell the players a lot of the same things he told you growing up?

Harbaugh: “Oh yeah, certainly. His personality as a head coach is consistent with who he is as a guy, so all of the same stuff I heard growing up, I’ve heard him say over the past year and a half.”

LandOf10: Do you call him dad or coach?

Harbaugh: “Coach (laughs).”

LandOf10: Moving from the NFL to college, the biggest change is having to recruit. Based off what we see on Twitter, you seem to enjoy it. Why do you enjoy it so much?

Harbaugh: “It’s just fun. It’s fun to connect with high school coaches and connect with players. You build a visual of who they are as a player, and build a connection with their community – like the counselors, coaches, etc. It’s kind of like a detective case. You find a guy you like, and you start assembling all of the pieces. Each recruit is different, there’s a different story or clue.”

LandOf10: What is it like, as the special teams and tight ends coach, to be able to coach guys as good as Jabrill Peppers and Jake Butt?

Harbaugh: “It’s a blast. It’s certainly a blessing as a coach to have talented guys. You get to come up with ways to get guys with talent like that the ball, which is the most fun part of the job. More than anything, Jake and Jabrill for instance, are both outstanding guys. They’re both fun to be around, they really want to be great, they absorb teaching very well, and they’re always after higher level of detail. Which is fun, because they have mastered so many things, but they always want more. You can give them more, and get to the next level. It’s fun as a coach, it challenges you as a teacher, and the amount of detail you prepare with and provide the players.”

LandOf10: What’s the difference between coaching with your dad, Jim Harbaugh, and your uncle, John Harbaugh?

Harbaugh: “Whew, I don’t know. People have always asked how similar they are. They’re not that different, to be honest. It’s a good question. I think they’re both very similar to work for. They both go about a few things a little bit differently. I’d say my dad is a little more demonstrative. John is just as, or even more, hands-on – it just doesn’t appear that way. ”

Going to work every day with your father every day isn’t every kid’s dream at age 27, but when you’re both coaching the nation’s No. 4 team, and you’re three wins away from the College Football Playoff – working with the old man isn’t bad after all.

NEXT Report: Michigan QB Wilton Speight out for rest of regular season with broken collarbone
More from:
Brandon Justice
  • Michigan QB target Tyler Shough speaks out about UNC commitment: Tar Heels ‘the right fit for me’
  • Recruiting Mailbag: Talking QB Tyler Shough, Michigan’s chances at The Opening and more
  • Recruiting notebook: DT prospect Jacob Lacey to make return trip to Michigan
  • O-lineman Jerome Carvin will visit Michigan this summer; has Notre Dame gained an edge for Shayne Simon?
  • Nation’s No. 1 RB in 2019 sets Michigan visit, Wolverines offer new TE

Share

Get the latest Michigan News

Don't miss breaking news!
Sign up for the Land of 10 Michigan Newsletter!

Michigan Wolverines Nike/Jordan Brand gear at Fanatics.com

Official Partners
Get Breaking News Fast!
Download the new Land of 10 app.
Get it on the AppStore
Get it on Google Play

Latest Big Ten News

  • Big Ten
    Path to the 2018 NFL Draft: How some of Big Ten’s bigg...
  • Iowa
    Ex Hawkeyes Desmond King, Karl Klug explain how Iowa, Kirk F...
  • Big Ten
    NFL mock draft 2018: First-round projections, top players, o...
  • 4 hours ago
    Big Ten
    2018 NFL mock draft: Projections for all rounds, 32 teams (A...
  • 5 hours ago
    Nebraska
    Nebraska’s Scott Frost: Coaches, players ‘aren&#...
  • 6 hours ago
    Ohio State
    Michael Irvin on Ohio State’s Urban Meyer: ‘He t...
  • 7 hours ago
    Michigan
    NFL Draft 2018: Michigan’s Maurice Hurst may slip in d...
  • 8 hours ago
    Iowa
    How Iowa beat Wisconsin and a tornado to land tackle Jack Pl...
  • 8 hours ago
    Nebraska
    Nebraska recruiting: Spring game impresses OLB Ge’mon ...
  • 8 hours ago
    Michigan
    Michigan recruiting: Dynamic athlete Kyren Williams has Mich...

Follow Us

  • © 2018 Cox Media Group
    • About DieHards
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise With Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Visitor Agreement
    • SEC Country
    • DawgNation
    • DieHards
  • Feedback
SportsRadar logo
The Diehards Network