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Coach Jack Harbaugh
(pronounced HAR-baw) has completed his 10th season at
The `98 Toppers, powered by one of I-AA football's most potent offenses — third in the nation in rushing offense (344.6 yards per game) and ninth in the land in scoring offense (36.0 points per game) — and the I-AA Independent Offensive Player-of-the-Year (All-American Willie Taggart, finished the year 7-4. That club was ranked 19th in the nation in the final poll and narrowly missed Western's second straight appearance in the NCAA national championship playoffs. That effort followed a stellar 1997 campaign that ranks as one of the most successful years in the 80-year history of the sport on the Hill. The '97 Toppers were 10-2, earning a berth in the NCAA I-AA Championship Playoffs and finishing the year ranked number five in the nation. WKU's I-Bone offense led the nation in rushing with a school record 332.0 yards per game. For his efforts in the '97 season, Harbaugh was named the Division I-AA Independents Coach-of-the-Year. In addition, he was the American Football Coaches Association's pick for it's I-AA GTE Region 3 Coach-of-the-Year. His Western teams have won 20 of their last 26 games — losing only to three Division I-A schools and a trio of other nationally ranked teams on the I-AA level. Harbaugh's 1996 club posted an impressive 7-4-0 mark (one of the best turnaround records in the nation) and challenged for a berth in the I-AA playoff field. The Toppers, ranked 27th in the final poll, posted victories over three nationally ranked teams and, for the sixth straight year, ranked among the nation's Top 10 in rushing offense (WKU was third in the nation in '96, averaging 285.1 yards per game rushing). He took over as head coach at Western in February, 1989, after two seasons as assistant head coach at the University of Pittsburgh. He promptly led his first Hilltopper team to a 6-5-0 mark against one of the toughest schedules in I-AA football. That team narrowly just missed a berth in the NCAA playoffs, while five of WKU's 10 opponents got into the I-AA playoff field that year. In 10 seasons at the Hilltopper helm, he has seen 13 of his WKU athletes earn a variety of All-America honors a total of 19 times. Included on that list are a pair of offensive linemen — Brian Bixler and current Topper Patrick Goodman — who were honored both for their play on the field and as Academic All-Americans for their work in the classroom. Two of his charges in his first year at Western were drafted by NFL teams — safety Jerome Martin (Green Bay in the 10th round) and defensive lineman Webbie Burnett (New Orleans in the 11th). And, three others signed as free agents — receiver Anthony Green (Cincinnati), defensive end Xavier Jordan (Seattle) and safety Jonathan Watts (Seattle). His 1993 club was 8-3-0, led the nation in team rushing (averaging 300.1 yards per game) and finished the year ranked 19th in The Sports Network poll. A balanced team with punch on both sides of the line, the 1993 Toppers ranked 18th in the nation in total defense and 23rd in total offense. Harbaugh's 1990 and 1991 Hilltoppers fell on hard times against two of the toughest schedules in the I-AA game, dropping to 2-8-0 and 3-8-0. But, defensive back Eddie Godfrey signed with Tampa Bay in the NFL in 1991 while tight end Milton Biggins was drafted by Miami. Things took a turn for the better in 1992 as the Topper option offense matured and developed into the nation's number two rushing unit. That 4-6-0 team rallied to win three of its last five contests. In 1994, the Toppers got off to a great start, winning five
of their first seven games (earning Then, in '95, the Toppers were one of the youngest and least experienced teams ever on the Hill. Still, that squad was again potent on offense, ranking second in the nation in rushing. With solid young talent facing the nation's toughest I-AA schedule, the Hilltoppers battled week after week and were much closer to a .500 club than the 2-8-0 record indicated. Harbaugh's teams have ranked among the most productive offensive squads in Western history. Year after year, his Toppers have posted some of the most impressive offensive performances ever on the Hill, in both single game and season-long numbers. And, under his guidance, Western is the only I-AA school in the nation to rank in the Top 10 in rushing offense every year in the `90s. The 60-year-old Harbaugh, a veteran of 37 years in the coaching ranks — 32 of those at the college level — previously spent five seasons as head coach at Western Michigan. And, he has been an assistant at Pittsburgh, Michigan, Iowa, Stanford, Bowling Green State and Morehead State. In his first year at Pitt (1987), he helped guide the Panthers to an 8-4-0 mark and an appearance in the Bluebonnet Bowl. One of his proteges, All-America linebacker Zeke Gadsen, was a finalist for the Butkus Award. Gadsen was drafted by the Buffalo Bills of the NFL and later played professional ball in the Canadian Football League. Pittsburgh was 14-9-0 in his Harbaugh's two years there. Harbaugh was head coach at Western Michigan from 1982 through 1986, posting his best season with the Broncos in 1982 (7-2-2 and second place in the Mid-American Conference). His five teams there were a collective 25-27-3. Prior to that stint at WMU, he put in two seasons as defensive coordinator at Stanford. Harbaugh served as defensive backfield coach for the legendary Bo Schembechler at Michigan for seven years (1973-79). Those Wolverine teams won five Big Ten championships (1973, 1976, 1977, 1978 and 1979). Michigan played in the 1976 Orange Bowl and made three trips to the Rose Bowl ('77, '78 and '79). His seven Wolverine teams were 66-13-3 (.823) overall. A number of his defensive backs at Michigan also enjoyed successful careers in professional football, including safeties David Brown, an All-American (Green Bay); Michael Hardin, (Denver); Dwight Hicks, who played for San Francisco and was in the 1982 Super Bowl with the 49ers; and Keith Bostic, a strong safety (Houston) and Pro Bowl athlete. Harbaugh coached the defensive backs at Iowa in 1971 and 1972 and among his athletes there was safety Craig Clemmons, a first round draft choice of the Chicago Bears in 1972. He put in four seasons (1968-71) as an aide in the defensive backfield on Coach Don Nehlen's staff at his alma mater, Bowling Green State. Nehlen was the American Football Coaches Association's 1988 College Coach-of-the-Year at 11-1-0 West Virginia. His first assignment in the college ranks was at Morehead State, where he spent the 1967 season. He made his first visit to the WKU campus that fall when the Eagles were the guests for the Toppers' Homecoming game — a 30-19 Western victory. Harbaugh spent a year (1966) as head coach at Xenia (Ohio) High School where his team was 8-1-0, taking championship honors in the Western Ohio League. He was named conference Coach-of-the-Year. He was also head coach at Eaton (Ohio) High (1964-65) and he was an aide at Perryburg (Ohio) High for two years (1962-63). He began his coaching career as basketball and track coach at Canton (Ohio) Elementary in 1961. A native of Crestline, Ohio, he is a graduate of Crestline High (1957) where he was a four-year letterman and an All-State quarterback as a senior. CHS won conference championships in both his junior and senior seasons. And, he also lettered twice in basketball and four times in baseball, where he was an All-State shortstop. He played college football at Bowling Green State, lettering three times as a defensive back and quarterback. BGSU went 24-3-2 in his three varsity seasons and the Falcons were small college national champs (9-0-0) his junior year. He was an All-Mid-America Conference selection at free safety as a senior. He also lettered twice in baseball. In 1961, he was drafted by the Buffalo Bills of the American Football League. Harbaugh holds a B.S. degree (1961) in physical education and a M.E. in health and physical education (1964) from Bowling Green State. He and his wife, Jackie, also a BGSU alumnus, have three children,
John, an assistant football coach with the Philadelphia Eagles
of the NFL; Jim, the quarterback of the San Diego Chargers of
the NFL; and Joani, an elementary teacher who is married to former
WKU assistant basketball coach Tom Crean, who helped engineer
Michigan State's drive to the 1999 Final Four and is now the
new head basketball coach at Marquette. He has three grandchildren,
four-year-old Megan Crean; three-year-old Jim, Jr.; and, 10-year-old
Jay (Jim's stepson).
Born: June 28, 1939, Crestline, Ohio High School: Crestline '57 High School Athletics: Football, QB, 4 letters College: Bowling Green State '61 (BS) Bowling Green State '64 (ME) College Athletics: Football, QB-DB (All-Conference as a senior) - Baseball, SS, 2 letters Professional Experience: Buffalo Bills (draftee), 1961 Coaching Experience: Family: |
Western Kentucky, leading his
1998 Hilltoppers to the school's third impressive winning season
in a row.
a
ranking as high as 10th in the nation) before injuries took their
toll as the Hilltoppers ended the season with four straight losses.
However, leading tackler Sheldon Benoit was the 11th pick in
the Canadian Football League draft.