College Football News: Which College Football Head Coaches Were The Best Players?

Jim Harbaugh was a damn good player before picking up the whistle.

It's pretty common for football players to eventually hang up the pads in exchange for a whistle, and there are some very good head coaches who got it done as players as younger men.

Michigan's very own Jim Harbaugh came in at No. 2 overall on a recent list assembled by Rich Cirminiello of College Football News, which shouldn't surprise anyone given the resumé.

Left Ann Arbor as Michigan’s career passing yards leader before playing 15 years in the NFL.

Harbaugh threw for 5,449 yards and 31 touchdowns against 22 interceptions while in Ann Arbor. Once he finished his career at U-M, he was drafted by the Chicago Bears with pick No. 26 overall in the 1987 NFL Draft. He carved out a solid 14-year career with four different teams and compiled 26,288 yards with 129 touchdowns against 117 picks.

PJ Fleck (No. 20), Lovie Smith (No. 9), Scott Frost (No. 6) and Pat Fitzgerald (No. 1) round out the Big Ten's representation on the list. Fitzgerald took the top spot as a two-time consensus All-American, two-time Bednarik Award winner and member of the College Football Hall of Fame. Not bad for this guy...