When Jim Harbaugh is not busy saving people from car crashes or coaching first base for the Oakland A's, he finds time to work on his impersonations, like that of Bo Schembechler.
At a spring practice Thursday, Harbaugh had a Schembechler moment.
"He pulled a classic Bo," said John Harbaugh, Jim's brother. "He threw everybody out of practice. Did you guys hear about that?"
John Harbaugh turned and looked at members of the U-M public relations staff. "Am I not supposed to talk about that?" John Harbaugh asked, smiling.
Then, the Baltimore Ravens' coach told the story, pulling back the curtain and offering a small view of Jim Harbaugh at work.
"At one point, it got a little crazy," John Harbaugh said. "There were so many people there visiting. Halfway through, he said, 'Everybody outta here.' "
John Harbaugh and former quarterback Rick Leach turned to walk out.
"We started walking away," John Harbaugh said. "He said, 'No, John, you can stay.'
"The old players were laughing about it, because it's exactly what Bo would have done."
Exactly what Bo would have done.
Nothing could sound sweeter to Michigan fans.
"As much as anything, it was for his team," John Harbaugh said. "He was making a point to his team, this is about football. That's why we are here."
Jim Harbaugh was hired to get the football program back on Bo's path, and if the first practices are any indication, it's headed in that direction, at least in the eyes of his brother.
"It was great," John Harbaugh said of the practice. "It was fun. It was a Michigan practice. It was physical. The guys really practiced hard. It was demanding."
John Harbaugh was at Michigan on Friday to speak at a high school coaches clinic. In honor of his brother, John Harbaugh wore khaki pants, a sweatshirt and a baseball cap.
He admitted he was surprised when Jim left the NFL.
"I thought he would stay in the NFL," John Harbaugh said. "I think, he was hoping and I was hoping that it would work out there for the longest time, but it didn't."
John expects Jim to make the transition smoothly.
"I have no question he will make it and make it well," he said. "There is no doubt Michigan is going to win. Obviously, the variable is time and how fast they pick it up and how the ball bounces. They have a bunch of good players here who love to practice and love football. There is no question he will make the transition perfectly well."
How long will it take for Jim Harbaugh to turn it around?
"It's going to be tougher now than in the old days," John said. "It's not just Michigan and Ohio State anymore. It's a great conference, so it will take as long as it will take. But it's going to happen."
Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @seideljeff.
At a spring practice Thursday, Harbaugh had a Schembechler moment.
"He pulled a classic Bo," said John Harbaugh, Jim's brother. "He threw everybody out of practice. Did you guys hear about that?"
John Harbaugh turned and looked at members of the U-M public relations staff. "Am I not supposed to talk about that?" John Harbaugh asked, smiling.
Then, the Baltimore Ravens' coach told the story, pulling back the curtain and offering a small view of Jim Harbaugh at work.
"At one point, it got a little crazy," John Harbaugh said. "There were so many people there visiting. Halfway through, he said, 'Everybody outta here.' "
John Harbaugh and former quarterback Rick Leach turned to walk out.
"We started walking away," John Harbaugh said. "He said, 'No, John, you can stay.'
"The old players were laughing about it, because it's exactly what Bo would have done."
Exactly what Bo would have done.
Nothing could sound sweeter to Michigan fans.
"As much as anything, it was for his team," John Harbaugh said. "He was making a point to his team, this is about football. That's why we are here."
Jim Harbaugh was hired to get the football program back on Bo's path, and if the first practices are any indication, it's headed in that direction, at least in the eyes of his brother.
"It was great," John Harbaugh said of the practice. "It was fun. It was a Michigan practice. It was physical. The guys really practiced hard. It was demanding."
John Harbaugh was at Michigan on Friday to speak at a high school coaches clinic. In honor of his brother, John Harbaugh wore khaki pants, a sweatshirt and a baseball cap.
He admitted he was surprised when Jim left the NFL.
"I thought he would stay in the NFL," John Harbaugh said. "I think, he was hoping and I was hoping that it would work out there for the longest time, but it didn't."
John expects Jim to make the transition smoothly.
"I have no question he will make it and make it well," he said. "There is no doubt Michigan is going to win. Obviously, the variable is time and how fast they pick it up and how the ball bounces. They have a bunch of good players here who love to practice and love football. There is no question he will make the transition perfectly well."
How long will it take for Jim Harbaugh to turn it around?
"It's going to be tougher now than in the old days," John said. "It's not just Michigan and Ohio State anymore. It's a great conference, so it will take as long as it will take. But it's going to happen."
Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @seideljeff.
