Jim Harbaugh is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. He was born on December 23, 1963, in Toledo, Ohio, and grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Harbaugh played college football at the University of Michigan, where he was a two-time Big Ten Conference Player of the Year and finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1986.
Harbaugh was selected by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 1987 NFL Draft. He played for the Bears for four seasons, serving as a backup to starting quarterback Mike Tomczak. In 1991, Harbaugh was traded to the Indianapolis Colts, where he became the team's starting quarterback. He played for the Colts for four seasons, leading the team to the playoffs in 1995.
After leaving the Colts, Harbaugh played for several other NFL teams, including the Baltimore Ravens, San Diego Chargers, and Carolina Panthers. He retired from playing in 2001 and began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Western Kentucky University.
Harbaugh's first head coaching job came in 2004, when he was hired by the University of San Diego. He led the team to two Pioneer Football League championships and two appearances in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
In 2007, Harbaugh was hired as the head coach at Stanford University. He inherited a team that had gone 1-11 the previous season and quickly turned them into a contender. In 2010, Harbaugh led Stanford to a 12-1 record and a victory in the Orange Bowl. He was named the Pac-10 Coach of the Year and the Woody Hayes National Coach of the Year.
After four seasons at Stanford, Harbaugh was hired as the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers in 2011. He led the team to three consecutive NFC Championship games and a Super Bowl appearance in 2012. However, tensions between Harbaugh and the 49ers' front office led to his departure from the team after the 2014 season.
Harbaugh returned to his alma mater, the University of Michigan, in 2015 as the head coach of the football team. He has since led the Wolverines to several successful seasons, including a 10-3 record in 2015 and a 10-2 record in 2016. Harbaugh has also been known for his outspoken personality and his willingness to speak his mind on a variety of topics, both football-related and otherwise.
Overall, Jim Harbaugh has had a successful career in football as both a player and a coach. He has been known for his competitive spirit and his ability to turn struggling teams into contenders. While his coaching style has sometimes been controversial, there is no denying his impact on the sport of football.
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