View source for Jack Harbaugh

{{Short description|American football player and coach (born 1939)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Jack Harbaugh
| image = MBN S23G01 ECU-11 (53160388239) (cropped).jpg
| alt = 
| caption = Harbaugh with Michigan in 2023
| current_title = 
| current_team = 
| current_conference = 
| contract = 
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1939|06|28}}
| birth_place = [[Crestline, Ohio]], U.S.
| death_date = 
| death_place = 
| alma_mater = 
| player_years1 = 1957–1960
| player_team1 = [[Bowling Green Falcons football|Bowling Green]]
| player_positions = [[Halfback (American football)|Halfback]]
| coach_years1 = 1962–1963
| coach_team1 = [[Perrysburg High School|Perrysburg HS (OH)]] (assistant)
| coach_years2 = 1964–1965
| coach_team2 = [[Eaton High School (Ohio)|Eaton HS (OH)]]
| coach_years3 = 1966
| coach_team3= [[Xenia High School|Xenia HS (OH)]]
| coach_years4 = 1967
| coach_team4 = [[Morehead State Eagles football|Morehead State]] (assistant)
| coach_years5 = 1968–1970
| coach_team5 = [[Bowling Green Falcons football|Bowling Green]] (assistant)
| coach_years6 = 1971–1973
| coach_team6 = [[Iowa Hawkeyes football|Iowa]] (assistant)
| coach_years7 = 1973–1979
| coach_team7 = [[Michigan Wolverines football|Michigan]] (DB)
| coach_years8 = 1980–1981
| coach_team8 = [[Stanford Cardinal football|Stanford]] ([[Defensive coordinator|DC]])
| coach_years9 = 1982–1986
| coach_team9 = [[Western Michigan Broncos football|Western Michigan]]
| coach_years10 = 1987–1988
| coach_team10 = [[Pittsburgh Panthers football|Pittsburgh]] (assistant)
| coach_years11 = 1989–2002
| coach_team11 = [[Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football|Western Kentucky]]
| coach_years12 = 2004–2006
| coach_team12 = [[San Diego Toreros football|San Diego]] (RB)
| coach_years13 = 2009
| coach_team13 = [[Stanford Cardinal football|Stanford]] (RB)
| coach_years14 = 2023
| coach_team14 = Michigan (AHC)
| overall_record = 116–95–3 (college)
| bowl_record = 
| tournament_record = 
| championships = [[College Football Playoff National Championship|NCAA FBS (CFP)]] (2023)<br />[[NCAA Division I Football Championship|NCAA Division I-AA]] (2002)<br />Western Ohio League (1966)<br />[[Ohio Valley Conference|OVC]] (2000)<br />[[Gateway Football Conference|GFC]] (2002)
| awards = [[AFCA Coach of the Year|AFCA NCAA Division I-AA COY]] (2002)<br />[[Ohio Valley Conference|OVC]] Coach of the Year (2000)
| coaching_records = 
}}
'''Jack Avon Harbaugh'''<ref name=geng1>http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/%7Ebattle/celeb/harbaugh.htm {{User-generated source|certain=yes|date=June 2022}}</ref> (born June 28, 1939) is an American [[college football]] coach and former player. He served as the head football coach at [[Western Michigan University]] from 1982 to 1986 and [[Western Kentucky University]] from 1989 to 2002, compiling a career [[college football]] head coaching record of 116–95–3. In his final year at Western Kentucky, he led the [[2002 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team|2002 Hilltoppers]] to an [[NCAA Division I Football Championship|NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship]] title. In 2023, Harbaugh came out of retirement to become assistant head coach of the [[Michigan Wolverines football|Michigan Wolverines]] under his son [[Jim Harbaugh|Jim]] (who was the suspended head coach at the time) and helped lead the team to win the [[2024 College Football Playoff National Championship]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lyons |first=Dan |date=August 30, 2023 |title=Jim Harbaugh Explains Decision to Add Father to Coaching Staff During Suspension |url=https://www.si.com/college/2023/08/30/michigan-football-jim-harbaugh-explains-decision-add-father-jack-coaching-staff |access-date=August 30, 2023 |website=Sports Illustrated}}</ref>

Harbaugh's sons, [[John Harbaugh|John]] and [[Jim Harbaugh|Jim]], are the first pair of brothers to serve as head coaches in the [[National Football League|NFL]] and the first pair of head coaching brothers to face off in a [[Super Bowl]], doing so in [[Super Bowl XLVII|February 2013]].

==Early life==
Harbaugh was born in [[Crestline, Ohio]], to Marie Evelyn (née Fisher) and William Avon Harbaugh. He is of German and Irish descent.<ref name=geng1/> He graduated from [[Crestline High School]] in 1957. At Crestline, he was a four-year letterman in both football and baseball. He was an all-state quarterback and shortstop in his senior year. He was also a two-time letterman in basketball.<ref name="usdtoreros.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.usdtoreros.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/harbaugh_jack00.html |title=Jack Harbaugh Bio - USDTOREROS.COM - University of San Diego Official Athletic Site |website=www.usdtoreros.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150101203223/http://www.usdtoreros.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/harbaugh_jack00.html |archive-date=January 1, 2015}}</ref>

==Playing career==
He played college football for the [[Bowling Green State University]] [[Bowling Green Falcons football|Falcons]] from 1957 to 1960, where he was a three-time letterman. In his junior year, the Falcons finished the season 9–0 and were named the small college division national champions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gostanford.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=208440729|title=Player Bio: Jack Harbaugh|publisher=Stanford University|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120219175305/http://www.gostanford.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/harbaugh_jack00.html|archive-date=February 19, 2012}}</ref><ref>"Bowling Green Is Voted No. 1," ''Lincoln Evening Journal'', November 27, 1959, p. 14</ref> He was drafted in the [[1961 American Football League draft|1961 AFL draft]] by the [[Buffalo Bills]] as a running back.<ref name="usdtoreros.com"/><ref name="p936">{{cite web | title=Ravens, 49ers win to set up Harbaugh vs. Harbaugh Super Bowl | website=NBC Sports | date=January 20, 2013 | url=https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/ravens-49ers-win-to-set-up-harbaugh-vs-harbaugh-super-bowl | access-date=October 17, 2024}}</ref>

==Coaching career==
Harbaugh began as an assistant coach to Jerry Nowak at [[Perrysburg High School]] in [[Perrysburg, Ohio]], southwest of Toledo. Both sons were born while Harbaugh was in Perrysburg. In 1964, Harbaugh was the head coach of [[Eaton High School (Ohio)|Eaton High School]] football team in [[Eaton, Ohio]]. His record was 5–4–1, their first winning season in many years. In 1965 the team went 6–4. In 1966, Harbaugh was the head coach of the [[Xenia High School]] football team in [[Xenia, Ohio]]. His record for the one year that he coached was 8–1–1.<ref>{{cite web|title=Coaches Records|url=http://www.xenia.k12.oh.us/xhs/sports/football/records/coachesr.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130125083028/https://www.xenia.k12.oh.us/xhs/sports/football/records/coachesr.htm|archive-date=January 25, 2013|access-date=January 19, 2010|publisher=[[Xenia High School]]}}</ref> He received championship honors in the Western Ohio League and was named conference Coach of the Year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wkusports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/harbaugh_jack00.html|title=Jack Harbaugh Bio|publisher=[[Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football|WKU]]|access-date=November 20, 2015}}</ref>

Harbaugh served as an assistant in various college programs from 1968 to 1981.

From 1982 to 1986, he served as the head football coach at [[Western Michigan University]] and compiled a 25–27–3 record. From 1989 to 2002, he was the head football coach at [[Western Kentucky University]]. During his tenure with the [[Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football|Hilltoppers]] he posted a 91–68 record, including three 10-win seasons. The [[Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football|Hilltoppers]] were the only team to rank in the top 10 every year in rushing offense from 1991-2002.<ref name="usdtoreros.com"/> In 2002, the WKU squad won the [[NCAA Division I Football Championship|NCAA Division I-AA national football championship]].

After leaving Western Kentucky, Harbaugh served as an associate [[athletic director]] at [[Marquette University]], Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where his son-in-law, [[Tom Crean (basketball)|Tom Crean]], was the head coach of the men's [[college basketball|basketball]] [[Marquette Golden Eagles men's basketball|team]]. Harbaugh has also served as an assistant coach at [[Morehead State University]], [[Bowling Green State University]], the [[University of Iowa]], the [[University of Michigan]], [[Stanford University]], the [[University of Pittsburgh]], and the [[University of San Diego]].

Harbaugh retired in 2006, but served as Stanford's running backs coach in the [[2009 Sun Bowl]] under his son, Jim. Jack filled in for [[Willie Taggart]], who had recently been hired as the new head football coach at WKU.

Following his son Jim's three-game suspension in 2023, Harbaugh unretired to serve as an assistant head coach for Michigan, and would wind up winning the [[2024 College Football Playoff National Championship]] alongside his son.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ablauf |first1=Dave |last2=Shepard |first2=Chad |title=Harbaugh Announces Coaching Duties for First Three Games of 2023 |url=https://mgoblue.com/news/2023/8/24/football-harbaugh-announces-coaching-duties-for-first-three-games-of-2023 |website=MGOBLUE |publisher=Board of Regents of the University of Michigan |access-date=January 6, 2024 |date=August 8, 2023}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Harbaugh married his wife, Jacqueline M. "Jackie" Cipiti, in 1961. They have three children: John, Jim, and Joani. Jack and Jackie settled in [[Mequon, Wisconsin]], when he took the position as Associate Athletic Director for Marquette University in Milwaukee.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/187746841.html|title=Why Jack Harbaugh and his wife, Jackie, live in Mequon|author=Wolfley, Bob|newspaper=[[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]]|date=January 21, 2013}}</ref> Harbaugh is a member of the [[Bowling Green State University]] chapter of [[Phi Delta Theta]] fraternity.

Their two sons, [[Baltimore Ravens]] head coach [[John Harbaugh]] and [[Los Angeles Chargers]] head coach [[Jim Harbaugh]], were the first pair of brothers to serve as head coaches in the [[National Football League]] (NFL).<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/bs-sp-harbaughs-0108-20110107,0,7122675.story|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120723032412/http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/bs-sp-harbaughs-0108-20110107,0,7122675.story|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 23, 2012|title=Jim Harbaugh joins Ravens' John Harbaugh to form first pair of NFL head coaching brothers|newspaper=[[Baltimore Sun]]|date=January 7, 2011|author=Ken Murray}}</ref> The brothers coached their teams in a game unofficially nicknamed the 'Harbaugh Bowl' and 'Har-bowl' on [[Thanksgiving Day]] 2011—one day before Jack and Jackie's fiftieth wedding anniversary—in which John's Ravens beat Jim's 49ers, 16–6. They faced each other again in a second 'Har-bowl' when Baltimore beat San Francisco on February 3, 2013, at [[Super Bowl XLVII]] in [[New Orleans]] by a score of 34–31.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hanzus|first=Dan|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/joe-flacco-baltimore-ravens-reach-super-bowl-xlvii-0ap1000000128873|title=Ravens roll by Patriots to advance to Super Bowl XLVII|publisher=[[National Football League]]|date=January 20, 2013|access-date=January 20, 2013}}</ref> Jim also played as quarterback at Michigan and for 15 seasons in the NFL for six different teams from 1987 to 2001 before entering coaching.

Their daughter Joani's husband, [[Tom Crean (basketball)|Tom Crean]], has been the head men's basketball coach at [[Marquette Golden Eagles men's basketball|Marquette]], [[Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball|Indiana]], and [[Georgia Bulldogs basketball|Georgia]]. They met while Jack was the head football coach at Western Kentucky University and Crean was an assistant basketball coach to [[Ralph Willard]].

==Head coaching record==
===College===
{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = TSN }}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name      = [[Western Michigan Broncos football|Western Michigan Broncos]]
 | conf      = [[Mid-American Conference]]
 | startyear = 1982
 | endyear   = 1986
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1982 NCAA Division I-A football season|1982]]
 | name         = [[1982 Western Michigan Broncos football team|Western Michigan]]
 | overall      = 7–2–2
 | conference   = 5–2–2
 | confstanding = 2nd
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1983 NCAA Division I-A football season|1983]]
 | name         = [[1983 Western Michigan Broncos football team|Western Michigan]]
 | overall      = 6–5
 | conference   = 4–5
 | confstanding = 6th
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1984 NCAA Division I-A football season|1984]]
 | name         = [[1984 Western Michigan Broncos football team|Western Michigan]]
 | overall      = 5–6
 | conference   = 3–6
 | confstanding = T–8th
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1985 NCAA Division I-A football season|1985]]
 | name         = [[1985 Western Michigan Broncos football team|Western Michigan]]
 | overall      = 4–6–1
 | conference   = 4–4–1
 | confstanding = T–4th
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1986 NCAA Division I-A football season|1986]]
 | name         = [[1986 Western Michigan Broncos football team|Western Michigan]]
 | overall      = 3–8
 | conference   = 3–5
 | confstanding = 8th
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = Western Michigan
 | overall    = 25–27–3
 | confrecord = 19–22–3
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name      = [[Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football|Western Kentucky Hilltoppers]]
 | conf      = [[NCAA Division I FCS independent schools|NCAA Division I-AA Independent]]
 | startyear = 1989
 | endyear   = 1998
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1989 NCAA Division I-AA football season|1989]]
 | name         = [[1989 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team|Western Kentucky]]
 | overall      = 6–5
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1990 NCAA Division I-AA football season|1990]]
 | name         = [[1990 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team|Western Kentucky]]
 | overall      = 2–8
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1991 NCAA Division I-AA football season|1991]]
 | name         = [[1991 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team|Western Kentucky]]
 | overall      = 3–8
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1992 NCAA Division I-AA football season|1992]]
 | name         = [[1992 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team|Western Kentucky]]
 | overall      = 4–6
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1993 NCAA Division I-AA football season|1993]]
 | name         = [[1993 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team|Western Kentucky]]
 | overall      = 8–3
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 19
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1994 NCAA Division I-AA football season|1994]]
 | name         = [[1994 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team|Western Kentucky]]
 | overall      = 5–6
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1995 NCAA Division I-AA football season|1995]]
 | name         = [[1995 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team|Western Kentucky]]
 | overall      = 2–8
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1996 NCAA Division I-AA football season|1996]]
 | name         = [[1996 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team|Western Kentucky]]
 | overall      = 7–4
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1997 NCAA Division I-AA football season|1997]]
 | name         = [[1997 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team|Western Kentucky]]
 | overall      = 10–2
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = [[NCAA Division I Football Championship|NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinal]]
 | bowloutcome  = L
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 5
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1998 NCAA Division I-AA football season|1998]]
 | name         = [[1998 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team|Western Kentucky]]
 | overall      = 7–4
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 19
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name      = [[Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football|Western Kentucky Hilltoppers]]
 | conf      = [[Ohio Valley Conference]]
 | startyear = 1999
 | endyear   = 2000
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1999 NCAA Division I-AA football season|1999]]
 | name         = [[1999 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team|Western Kentucky]]
 | overall      = 6–5
 | conference   = 4–3
 | confstanding = T–3rd
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference
 | year         = [[2000 NCAA Division I-AA football season|2000]]
 | name         = [[2000 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team|Western Kentucky]]
 | overall      = 11–2
 | conference   = 7–0
 | confstanding = 1st
 | bowlname     = [[NCAA Division I Football Championship|NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinal]]
 | bowloutcome  = L
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 5
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name      = [[Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football|Western Kentucky Hilltoppers]]
 | conf      = [[Missouri Valley Football Conference|Gateway Football Conference]]
 | startyear = 2001
 | endyear   = 2002
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[2001 NCAA Division I-AA football season|2001]]
 | name         = [[2001 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team|Western Kentucky]]
 | overall      = 8–4
 | conference   = 5–2
 | confstanding = T–2nd
 | bowlname     = [[NCAA Division I Football Championship|NCAA Division I-AA First Round]]
 | bowloutcome  = L 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 12
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = national
 | year         = [[2002 NCAA Division I-AA football season|2002]]
 | name         = [[2002 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team|Western Kentucky]]
 | overall      = 12–3
 | conference   = 6–1
 | confstanding = T–1st
 | bowlname     = [[NCAA Division I Football Championship|NCAA Division I-AA Championship]]
 | bowloutcome  = W
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 1
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = Western Kentucky
 | overall    = 91–68
 | confrecord = 22–6
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record End
 | overall  = 116–95–3
 | bowls    = no
 | poll     = no
 | polltype = 
}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120219175305/http://www.gostanford.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/harbaugh_jack00.html Stanford profile]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20030408005004/http://wkusports.ocsn.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/harbaugh_jack00.html Western Kentucky profile]

{{Western Michigan Broncos football coach navbox}}
{{Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football coach navbox}}
{{2002 WKU Hilltoppers football navbox}}
{{2023 Michigan Wolverines football navbox}}
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{{AFCA Division I FCS Coach of the Year}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harbaugh, Jack}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1939 births]]
[[Category:American football defensive backs]]
[[Category:American football quarterbacks]]
[[Category:Bowling Green Falcons football coaches]]
[[Category:Bowling Green Falcons football players]]
[[Category:Iowa Hawkeyes football coaches]]
[[Category:Michigan Wolverines football coaches]]
[[Category:Morehead State Eagles football coaches]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Panthers football coaches]]
[[Category:San Diego Toreros football coaches]]
[[Category:Stanford Cardinal football coaches]]
[[Category:Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football coaches]]
[[Category:Western Michigan Broncos football coaches]]
[[Category:High school football coaches in Ohio]]
[[Category:Harbaugh family]]
[[Category:People from Crestline, Ohio]]
[[Category:People from Perrysburg, Ohio]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Wood County, Ohio]]
[[Category:People from Mequon, Wisconsin]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Ozaukee County, Wisconsin]]
[[Category:Coaches of American football from Ohio]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Ohio]]
[[Category:Phi Delta Theta members]]