ANN ARBOR, Mich. – According to the Ann Arbor News, former Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh will serve as an honorary captain for the season opener against the Fresno State Bulldogs on Saturday, Aug. 31, at 7:30 p.m.
The national champion head coach left the Wolverines for the National Football League, where he signed a five-year deal worth $80 million with the Los Angeles Charges for the same position.
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According to reports, Harbaugh’s return to his alma mater has been in the works for some time now after University of Michigan Athletic Director Warde Manuel suggested it earlier this year.
For NFL and Chargers fans wondering how his return would impact their upcoming season, both teams’ schedules lined up as the opening kickoff for the forthcoming NFL season doesn’t take place until Thursday, Sept. 5, with Harbaugh’s new division foe and back-to-back Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs will host the Baltimore Ravens at 8:20 p.m.
Harbaugh was recently given a four-year show-cause and a one-year suspension by the NCAA for his lack of cooperation during an investigation into alleged violations he was accused of while head coaching the Wolverines.
The Wolverines also have an ongoing investigation into the sign-stealing scandal brought on by former staff member Connor Stalions and his manifesto, which will bring more light to the situation as, according to reports, he has inked a deal with Netflix’s “Untold” series, which will be released ahead of the season opener.
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Harbaugh, during his tenure as head coach, led the men in maize to three consecutive Big Ten championships, defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes three years in a row while taking three trips to the College Football Playoff, where he finally got over the hump this past season.
Team 144 capped off a memorable season, becoming the first team in school history to go 15-0, winning the Rose Bowl and the national championship against the Washington Huskies, who are now a part of the new Big Ten Conference.
Harbaugh will look to continue his winning ways as he takes over a 5-12 team that fired previous head coach Brandon Staley 14 games into the season.
Prior to the Wolverines job, Harbaugh took Colin Kaepernick and the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl in 2012, but he lost to his brother John Harbaugh and the Baltimore Ravens.
He coached the 49ers from 2011 to 2014, leading them to three consecutive NFC Championship games before bringing the Wolverines back to the mountaintop.