Published Dec 10, 2021
Jim Harbaugh named Associated Press Coach of the Year
Adam Schnepp  •  Maize&BlueReview
Senior Editor

The individual awards continue to roll in for members of the 20201 Michigan Wolverines. Yesterday head coach Jim Harbaugh was named Pro Football Focus’ Coach of the Year, and today he has been named the Associated Press Coach of the Year.

Harbaugh finished with 22 first-place votes, six more than second-place winner Luke Fickell of Cincinnati.

As he typically does, Harbaugh deflected praise and focused the lens on his team when discussing his win with the Associated Press. “I love this team. I love this ’21 team,” Harbaugh said. “They’ve got a bounce in their step every day. They’ve got a smile on their face. They’ve worked incredibly hard.”

From the accompanying Associated Press article:

Harbaugh is the first Michigan coach to win the AP Coach of the Year Award presented by Regions Bank, and the first from the Big Ten since Penn State’s Joe Paterno in 2005.

“It’s a tremendous reflection on the entire staff, players,” Harbaugh told AP. “Everybody shares in it. A rising tide lifts all ships.”

He received 22 of 53 first-place votes and 103 points from a panel of AP Top 25 voters to finish ahead of Cincinnati’s Luke Fickell, who had 16 first-place votes and 88 points.

Baylor’s Dave Aranda was third and Michigan State’s Mel Tucker was fourth.

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