Harbaugh Named Finalist for George Munger College Coach of the Year
12/29/2022 10:00:00 AM | Football
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- University of Michigan J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Football Coach Jim Harbaugh was named by the Maxwell Football Club as one of six finalists for the 2022 George Munger Award, presented annually to the College Coach of the Year.
This is Harbaugh's first time being named a finalist for the award after earning semifinalist recognition in 2016 and 2018. Brady Hoke (2011) is the program's only winner of the award.
Joining Harbaugh as finalists for the 2022 edition of the George Munger Award are: Ohio State's Ryan Day, TCU's Sonny Dykes, Tennessee's Josh Huepel, Tulane's Willie Fritz, and Georgia's Kirby Smart. The winner will be announced on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023.
Harbaugh has guided the Wolverines to a school-record 13 wins in 2022. Michigan is ranked second in the country and is preparing to play in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl against No. 3 TCU in the College Football Playoff semifinal on New Year's Eve (Dec. 31, 4 p.m. ET).
U-M won its second straight Big Ten Championship with a 43-22 victory against Purdue at Lucas Oil Stadium earlier this month (Dec. 3). The Wolverines went 9-0 during the regular season in conference play, winning all five games at home and four on the road, including a 45-23 season-ending victory at No. 2 Ohio State to win the Big Ten East Division. The nine Big Ten regular season wins are the most for a Michigan team since they went to the extra conference game.
The Wolverines have been one of college football's most balanced squads, having out-gained their opponents by over 175 yards per contest (453.5 yards to 277.1 yards) and are tied for the national lead in fourth-quarter points (12.7 avg.). U-M leads the nation in scoring differential (+27.2 points per game) and is joined only by Alabama among teams in the top 10 of both scoring offense and scoring defense. Michigan ranks seventh in scoring offense (40.1 avg.) and fifth in scoring defense (13.4 avg.).
Twenty-two (22) Wolverines received All-Big Ten recognition including 12 players with first- or second-team honors. Four players earned All-America status: Blake Corum, Olusegun Oluwatimi, Jake Moody and Mike Morris.
