When Michigan hired its current football coach Jim Harbaugh in 2015, the school knew that it was getting two things.
The first was a great coach who had experience building teams into winners. He turned the University of San Diego and Stanford into winning programs before taking a shot at the NFL with the 49ers. Despite being fired after four seasons, Harbaugh posted a 44-19-1 record in San Francisco and helped them make it to Super Bowl 47.
The Wolverines had been in an elongated rut before hiring Harbaugh, so getting a coach with his proven résumé was seen as a big win. So too was the fact that as a proverbial “Michigan Man,” he had a great understanding of both the school and the program as he looked to make the Wolverines competitive again in the Big Ten.
Harbaugh has achieved that so far, and continues to deliver Michigan the highest of highs on the field, just like he did during his playing days at the school under Bo Schembechler.
Here’s what to know about Harbaugh’s playing career at both the college and professional levels.
Where did Jim Harbaugh play football?
Harbaugh played his college football at Michigan. He was with the team from 1982 to 1986 and was a three-year starter for the Wolverines.
Harbaugh earned the starting job in 1984 after a three-way competition with Chris Zurbrugg and Russ Rein. His starting debut famously came in Michigan’s 22-14 upset win over a Bernie Kosar-led Miami Hurricanes team that was ranked No. 1 in the country.
Harbaugh would go on to be Michigan’s primary starter for the rest of his career when he was healthy. His performance was strong enough in his role that he became a top NFL prospect; and eventually, he was made a first-round pick in the 1987 NFL Draft.
Did Jim Harbaugh play in the NFL?
Yes, Harbaugh did play in the NFL. He was drafted 26th overall by the Bears in 1987 and went on to enjoy a 14-season career.
In total, Harbaugh made 140 starts with four different teams across those 14 seasons. He was largely a respectable starter and finished fourth in the MVP voting in 1995, his lone Pro Bowl season.
Jim Harbaugh NFL teams
As mentioned, Harbaugh started games for four NFL teams during his career. That said, he spent time with six different squads during his career. They were as follows:
- Chicago Bears (1987-93)
- Indianapolis Colts (1994-97)
- Baltimore Ravens (1998)
- San Diego Chargers (1999-2000)
- Detroit Lions (2001)
- Carolina Panthers (2001)
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