Who is Jim Harbaugh

       There has been a lot of talk this week on where will Jim Harbaugh be coaching this year, will it be at his Alma mater the University of Michigan, stay at his current school Stanford, will he go pro to Miami, San Francisco, Denver, Oakland or maybe he'll go to Carolina if they pick is Quarterback Andrew Luck with the number one draft pick. At first it looked like he was going to be the savior of the program and go to Ann Arbor and coach Michigan, but a person close to him said he doesn't want to go there. Then maybe he would go the Dolphins owner George Ross is a Michigan Man and he'll offer him 8 million, but as it so happens Miami has a coach Tony Sparano and now Ross made one of the most awkward situations in sports ever, to much for Jim and that fell through. Now his QB at Stanford Luck is staying will that affect his decision. Reports say early today that it is down to two Stanford and San Francisco but Stanford was the favorite. Well they were wrong because it finally came to a conclusion and the 49ers won offering Jim 5yr 25mill contract. So who is Jim Harbaugh and what makes him such a hot coach commodity?
       Jim is 47 years old born in Toledo, Ohio but grew up mainly in Ann Arbor, MI. He played at Pioneer High School to start out his high school career but would transfer across the nation to high school football powerhouse Palo Alto. He would return to Ann Arbor though.
     The college days were good for Harbaugh he played for Bo Schembechler from 1983-1986 and was the starter from his Sophomore season. His season though ended after just 710 passing yards and only 60 completions because of a broken arm. His junior season was his coming out party though he was the most efficiency QB in the nation completing 63.9% of his passes and lead the Wolverines to a 10-1-1 recording beating Nebraska in the Fiesta Bowl and finishing the season #2 in the nation. His senior year was just as good, he improved his completion rating to 65%, guaranteed a win of rival Ohio State and he came through on it, won Big Ten Player of the Year, came in third in Heismen ballot losing to Miami QB Vinny Testeverde, he took Michigan to the Rose Bowl but lost 15-22 against Arizona State, he was an All-Academic and All-American player. He ended with 387 completions 62.4% 22 interceptions 5,449 yards averaging 14.1 yards per completion and 31 touchdowns.
      His pro career wasn't as spectacular, Harbaugh was the first round pick by the Chicago Bears in the 1987 NFL draft. He played 7 seasons for the Bears with his best season coming in 1991throwing for 3,121 yards. He then played for the Indianapolis Colts having his best season there in 1995 with completion percentage of 63.7% and 17 passing touchdowns and led the team to the AFC Championship game, he was MVP runner-up and won Comeback Player of the Year with a Pro Bowl appearance and is now in the Colts "Ring of Honor". In 1997 he went 3-13 and was traded to the Baltimore Ravens and was replaced by a young man out of Tennessee Heisman runner-up Peyton Manning. He struggled in Baltimore and later went to the San Diego Chargers but lost the starting job to Ryan Leaf which didn't turn out well for the Chargers, he was signed and cut by the Detroit Lions for Ty Detmer who backed up Charlie Batch, he finished his career in 2001 with the Carolina Panthers.
     His coaching career actually began in 1994 as a part time assistant for his father Jack at Western Kentucky. He began his true coaching career as the QB coach for the Oakland Raiders in 2002. In 2004 he got his first shot at being the head coach at the University of San Diego he went 18-5 and won the Pioneer League Championship. He then went to Stanford where he took a Cardinal team that was 1-11 to winning the Orange Bowl this year in a blow out against Virginia Tech and finished an 11-1 season and won Coach of the Year.
      Jim now starts his professional head coaching career at nearby San Francisco who was the early season favorite to win the NFC West but didn't and lost the in the worst conference in the NFL. Jim Harbaugh joins his brother John in the ranks of NFL coaches, his brother is the head coach of Jim's former team the Baltimore Ravens. The two will coach against each other if there is a 2011-2012 season.