The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/544673
J im Harbaugh got it just right. He stepped to the po- dium in front of eager- eared attendees at the Bob Ufer Quarterback Club banquet and refused to let words outrun action. I haven't done any- thing yet. Of course, he meant in terms of results. He's done plenty to lay the groundwork for a season more sat- isfying than Michigan fans have experienced recently. But even glancing around, Har- baugh admitted how much work there is to accomplish. The coach pointed out he could only dream about having the suc- cess of Michigan swimming and diving coach Mike Bottom. In seven seasons, Bottom stands 59-3-1 in dual meets, 37-1 in the Big Ten, with a national championship, six Big Ten titles and national top-10 finishes every season. If the new football boss pulled that off, they'd be talking about him like the ghost of Fielding H. Yost floated back into town. Had Michigan softball coach Carol Hutchins been in at- tendance that night, Harbaugh could have easily offered the same deferential bouquet. Hutchins guided the Wolver- ines within one game of a second national championship this season, and her dy- nasty remains un- dented. Softball has won the Big Ten the past eight seasons and captured it 18 times overall, and they've made the NCAA Super Re- gionals 10 of the last 11 years. They won the national title in 2005, while Hutchins has been victorious in 1,432 games, more than any Michi- gan coach in history. There's a whole lot expected of any given crew of Wolverines. Make the grades. Succeed without cheat- ing. Reach out to the community. Oh, and win. Because if you don't, at least as a coach, you won't be around to accomplish all those other laudable goals. Bottom takes unbelievable pride WOLVERINE WATCH JOHN BORTON Striving For Success Is Contagious First-year head football coach Jim Harbaugh has plenty of suc- cessful coaches and programs around the Michigan campus for his team to emulate. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN