Jim Harbaugh's 'Do It Or Die Trying' Mentality Changed Michigan Football

It wasn't all that long ago that a healthy portion of the Michigan fan base was calling for head coach Jim Harbaugh to be replaced. Although Harbaugh managed 47 wins during his first five seasons in Ann Arbor, including three 10-win seasons, the record against Ohio State was 0-5, and his bowl record was just 1-4.

After Harbaugh's fifth season, many within the fan base were ready to move on. A somewhat stagnant offense based on old principles, coupled with a defense that was routinely shredded by the Buckeyes year in and year out, led many to believe that the program needed a fresh perspective at the head coaching position.

Then came COVID - and what would have likely been a make-or-break season for Harbaugh became an opportunity to hit the reset button. Michigan finished with an awful 2-4 record during that shortened 2020 season, but very few people put much stock into anything that occurred on the football field that year. As the sports community tried desperately to have some sense or normalcy, the reality is that players were being asked to perform under a set of circumstances that were anything but normal. Routine COVID tests on campus, isolation, empty stadiums, decimated rosters and a whole host of canceled games.

For Harbaugh and Michigan, the 2020 season represented a realization that things needed to change. In January of 2021, Harbaugh signed a new four-year contract extension that included a significant pay-cut, but also incentives for doing what he was brought to Michigan to do - beat Ohio State and win Big Ten Championships.

Harbaugh also made significant changes to his coaching staff prior to the 2021 season. Former defensive coordinator Don Brown was replaced by Mike Macdonald, former Michigan running back Mike Hart was brought on as running backs coach, George Helow was brought on as linebackers coach, Steve Clinkscale as defensive backs coach, former Michigan wide receiver Ron Bellamy as wide receivers coach, and Sherrone Moore was elevated to co-offensive coordinator with Josh Gattis.

Harbaugh's staff became younger and more diverse - and the result was a much-needed culture shift within the program.

Appearing at Big Ten Media Days in Indianapolis heading into the 2021 season, Harbaugh made his new mission clear when he took his place at the podium.

“Well, I’m here before you, enthusiastic and excited as I ever am, always am, even more to have at it, to win the championship, to beat Ohio and our rival Michigan State,” Harbaugh said. “That’s what we want to do, and we’re going to do it or die trying.”

The 2021 season started off in much the same way that other Michigan Football seasons began under Harbaugh's leadership. The Wolverines would win their first seven games of the season, before stumbling in East Lansing against rival Michigan State - a loss that had many Michigan fans feeling a sense of déjà vu. Although the loss was painful, Michigan rallied and won the next three games, including a tough road matchup in Happy Valley against Penn State.

As is often the case, Michigan's championship hopes would hinge on that final week of the regular season. The Wolverines (10-1) would enter The Game ranked No. 5 in the nation, while the Buckeyes (10-1) were ranked No. 2. The winner would go on to compete in Indy for the Big Ten championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff, while the loser would have to wait and see what their bowl selection would be.

Michigan fans had seen this movie time and time again. In fact, the previous eight meetings between Michigan and Ohio State had all ended the same exact way - with heartbreak for the folks in Ann Arbor.

Over 110,000 fans packed the Big House on that snowy afternoon in Ann Arbor, hoping that this time would be different. As the game progressed, it quickly became apparent that this year was indeed a different year - and that this group of Wolverines were different from the teams that proceeded them. For most of the afternoon, Michigan running back Hassan Haskins was unstoppable, rushing for a whopping five touchdowns behind an offensive line that absolutely bullied the Buckeye defense.

By the time the clock hit zero, the snow was falling, 100,000 fans were rushing the field, and the Michigan Wolverines were victorious.

That win on November 27, 2021 set the Wolverines on a path to two consecutive wins over Ohio State, two consecutive Big Ten Championships, and two consecutive trips to the College Football Playoff - something that seemed like a far-fetched idea to Michigan fans not that long ago.

As Jim Harbaugh prepares to enter his ninth as head coach at Michigan, the Wolverines are now viewed as the favorite to beat Ohio State (again), win their third consecutive Big Ten Championship, and considered a legitimate national championship contender. The new reality for this Michigan Football program is worlds away from what it was just a few short years ago.

Harbaugh weathered the storm, he adapted to the needs of his program in this new era of college football, and he's now built a national championship-caliber football program. Put simply, he's done exactly what he was brought to Ann Arbor to do.