Jay Harbaugh is Michigan's 'smartest coach in the building,' will make 'an incredible head coach'

Ask someone in the Michigan Wolverines football building about special teams coordinator and safeties coach Jay Harbaugh, and you’ll likely spend some time listening. There’s a lot to say about the only assistant coach who’s been in Ann Arbor for eighth-year head coach Jim Harbaugh‘s entire tenure so far — even if, out of humility, the head man himself has refrained from doing so in years past.

“I don’t really talk that much about Jay, because he is my son,” Jim Harbaugh said this summer. “It’s probably for right or wrong — maybe it’s been a blessing, maybe it’s been a curse — but it’s about time to give him the recognition.”

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Harbaugh was only 25 years old when his father hired to coach the Michigan tight ends in 2015. He thrived there, helping the program’s most accomplished tight end, Jake Butt, a two-time consensus first-team All-American, the 2016 Mackey Award winner and U-M’s record-holder in tight end receptions (138) and yards (1,646).

He took over special teams coordinator duties in 2019 after assisting in his previous seasons. The unit that has been stellar under his guidance, finishing top 20 nationally in kickoff coverage four of his seven years, and Michigan was named the most efficient special teams group in 2021 by Football Outsiders (it finished No. 2 in 2019).

“He’s the best in the nation to my eyes,” Michigan wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy said of Harbaugh’s special teams chops.

He moved to lead the Michigan running backs for four seasons from 2017-20, recruiting and coaching standout players Zach Charbonnet, Hassan Haskins, Karan Higdon and others. Harbaugh then moved back to tight ends in 2021, overseeing the success Erick All, Luke Schoonmaker and others enjoyed, and has now been switched to the defensive side of the ball to coach safeties this offseason.

“I think he’s going to end up coaching all 11 positions before he’s done,” Michigan first-year tight ends coach Grant Newsome joked.

Jim Harbaugh said he sees his son in the same way as his brother, John, who’s entering his 15th season as the Baltimore Ravens’ head coach. John began his NFL coaching career in special teams with the Philadelphia Eagles. Jay was on his staff when the Ravens beat Jim’s San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII.

“He’s a phenomenal, phenomenal football coach,” the Michigan head coach said. “The way he talks to our team, the way he coaches special teams … he recruited a great tight end room, a great running back room. And his value now, going over to defense, yeah, he knows how our offense tries to attack and what they’re trying to get done. And all the whole time, he’s also been coordinating the special teams, which was the best in the country.”

What makes Harbaugh such a great assistant coach, Newsome said, is his high-level knowledge of the game and his ability to relate with, motivate and teach the Michigan players.

“I think it’s a combination of, he connects with players really well [and] he’s extremely smart,” Newsome said.

“He’s extremely smart on the offensive side of the ball, but to also be, in my opinion, the best special teams coordinator in the nation, but to also be able to go over to the defense and be able to contribute on that side, you’ve got to be X’s and O’s smart, especially to do it at such a high level.

“But I also think he does an amazing job of recognizing what connects with the players and what clicks for the players, and putting it in terms that they understand and using methods and teaching tools that may seem a little outside the box, but when you actually think about it and see it in action, you think, ‘Wow, that’s really, really smart.” I can’t say enough good things about Jay.”

Being Michigan’s longest-tenured assistant coach, Harbaugh has become a mentor to Newsome and others in the program. Newsome was an offensive lineman on Jim Harbaugh’s first squad in 2015, suffered a grueling injury in 2016 and joined the coaching staff as a student assistant following his medical retirement in 2018.

“I tell anyone who will listen that I think Jay is incredibly smart,” Newsome explained. “I’d say he’s the smartest coach in the building, which is not a knock to anyone else — there are a lot of incredible coaches in the building — but I think the world of Jay.

“Having him a couple doors down, being able to bounce ideas off of him … I think everyone in the building goes to Jay for one thing or another, with just how smart and talented he is and just being a great person.”

Harbaugh, 33, has all the makings of a head coach in the future — and that could be soon. He’s flown under the radar in the past — not even appearing on On3’s names to know regarding future head coaches — but his trajectory has continued to point upwards.

“In all humility, I’ve got to say it right — he’s one heck of a coach, and way better than I was at that age, and darn near probably passing me up right now,” Jim Harbaugh raved. “Super proud of him and what he brings to our football team.”

“He’s already an incredible coordinator, and he’s going to be an incredible head coach sooner rather than later,” Newsome added.