College Football

Harbaugh Named AFCA Region 3 Coach of the Year, Finalist for Eddie Robinson Award

Harbaugh Named AFCA Region 3 Coach of the Year, Finalist for Eddie Robinson Award


Harbaugh Named AFCA Region 3 Coach of the Year, Finalist for Eddie Robinson Award

12/6/2022 12:00:00 PM

// Dave Ablauf, Chad Shepard

WACO, Texas — University of Michigan J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Football Coach Jim Harbaugh received a pair of coaching accolades Tuesday (Dec. 6), being voted the AFCA FBS Region 3 Coach of the Year and getting selected as a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award.

This is the first time that Harbaugh has been selected the regional coach of the year by the American Football Coaches Association in his eight years at Michigan.

The Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), in conjunction with the Allstate Sugar Bowl, present the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award on an annual basis. Harbaugh is a finalist for this year’s award along with seven other coaches: Sonny Dykes (TCU), Mike Elko (Duke), Willie Fritz (Tulane), Lincoln Riley (USC), Kirby Smart (Georgia), Jon Sumrall (Troy) and Jeff Traylor (UTSA). The winner of this year’s award will be announced at a reception prior to the CFP National Championship Game on Jan. 7 in Los Angeles, Calif.

Harbaugh has guided the Wolverines to a school record 13 wins in 2022. Michigan is ranked second in the country and has been selected 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.).

U-M won its second straight Big Ten Championship with a 43-22 victory against Purdue at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind., on Saturday (Dec. 3). The Wolverines went 9-0 during the regular season in conference, winning all five games at home and four on the road, including a 45-23 regular-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 more than 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 by only Alabama among teams in the top 10 of both scoring offense and scoring defense. Michigan ranks seventh in…

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