As the Michigan Wolverines gear up to face the Washington Huskies in the CFP National Championship game, former Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson recalled quite the story of his playing days. During this reflection, the Lions star shared an interesting story involving Wolverine’s head coach, Jim Harbaugh.
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After clinching the Pro Bowl this season and ahead of his season finale, Hutchinson appeared on ‘The 33rd Team‘ podcast to discuss the insane call that cost his team a game against the Cowboys, among other things. However, as soon as the topic turned to his alma mater, he was more than happy to share his love for the team and even reveal a few secrets along the way.
While discussing his former head coach, Jim Harbaugh, the defensive end revealed how deeply the coach is involved with his players, especially the quarterbacks, before a game. One of the co-hosts highlighted that Harbaugh can often be spotted throwing the pigskin to his QBs in the pregame. Then Hutchinson revealed the Wolverine HC’s unique routine of physically motivating the quarterbacks by slapping their chests before they take to the field to play. He said,
“He’s like very interactive with the quarterbacks and he has this thing where he slaps the sh*t of them before they play, like pounding their chests.”
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The Wolverines clinched their last national championship title in 1997. Almost 27 years later, they enter the finale as favorites to secure the title. It might seem unconventional to some, but Jim Harbaugh’s methods seem to be working. In the nine seasons with the program, he has had eight winning seasons and three Big Ten championships. So, it’s safe to say that the Wolverines are in the right hands.
Jim Harbaugh’s Unusual Pre-Practice Gym Routine
Apart from his unique coaching style, the Wolverines HC has an odd gym routine that he follows before every practice. Detroit Lions DE Aidan Hutchinson, while sharing his best Jim Harbaugh story, mentioned how before practices, like any other coach, Harbaugh would do workouts in the weight room. However, he had the habit of doing so while sporting khakis, cleats, and no shirt.
“It’s just so funny because you’re walking out with your pads and stuff and you see Harbaugh with his cleats on, and his khakis, just squatting like 135 for reps and stuff,” Hutchinson said.
It always amused Aiden and his teammates to see their coach in such attire and lifting weights. After his workout, Harbaugh would head straight to practice while wearing his cleats, which isn’t very common among coaches.
Former NFL legend Jim Harbaugh has consistently guided his team to compete at a high level. However, criticism surrounds his unconventional coaching style, especially due to his struggles in winning the National Championship. Despite calls for him to modernize his approach, Harbaugh could silence doubters by winning Monday’s final.
The Wolverines will clash with the Huskies on Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. Michigan aims for its 11th championship title, while the Huskies strive for their second. SportsLine’s Mike Tierney favors the Wolverines by 4.5 points and also projects the total points over or under 56.5.
