Michigan’s head coach will join an exclusive fraternity on Jan. 1.
In six days, Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh will become only the 12th person ever to play AND serve as a head coach in the Rose Bowl .
On January 1, 2024, @UMichFootball head coach Jim Harbaugh will join a small fraternity of people who have played in and been the head coach of a team that played in the #RoseBowl Game. pic.twitter.com/pgDYMH1yUk
— Rose Bowl Game (@rosebowlgame) December 13, 2023
Harbaugh joins an exclusive group that includes national champions and hall-of-famers. Of the 12, Harbaugh is just the fifth to return after losing as a player and will look to join the likes of Bob Stoops and John Robinson who, as coaches, won in their first trip to Pasadena as head coaches.
Harbaugh is the third player/coach with Michigan ties to reach the Rose Bowl, and only the second to make both trips as a member of the Wolverines. Pete Elliot reached the granddaddy of them all as a Michigan player and eventually led California and Illinois there as a head coach. Pete’s brother, Bump Elliott, reached the Rose Bowl as both a player and coach for the Wolverines.
Below is a list of every person who has reached the Rose Bowl as both a player and head coach.
Jim Harbaugh (Michigan)
As a player: 0-1; Lost to Arizona State , 22-15, in 1987
As a coach: TBD
Bret Bielema (Iowa, Wisconsin)
As a player: 0-1; Lost to Washington, 46-34, in 1991
As a coach: 0-2*; Lost to TCU , 21-19, in 2011 – Lost to Oregon, 45-38, in 2012 (Wisconsin qualified for a third Rose Bowl under Bielema in 2013, but he left before the game to take the head coaching position at Arkansas)
Rick Neuheisel (UCLA, Washington)
As a player: 2-0; Defeated Michigan, 24-14, in 1983 – Defeated Illinois, 45-9, in 1984
As a coach: 1-0; Defeated Purdue, 34-24 in 2001
Bob Stoops (Iowa, Oklahoma)
As a player: 0-1; Lost to Washington, 28-0, in 1982
As a coach: 1-0; Defeated Washington State , 34-14, in 2003
Terry Donahue (UCLA)
As a player: 1-0; Defeated Michigan State , 14-12, in 1966
As a coach: 3-1; Defeated Michigan, 24-14, in 1983 – Defeated Illinois, 45-9, in 1984 – Defeated Iowa, 45-28, in 1986 – Lost to Wisconsin 21-16, in 1994
John Robinson (Oregon, USC)
As a player: 0-1; Lost to Ohio State , 10-7, in 1958
As a coach: 4-0; Defeated Michigan, 14-6, in 1977 – Defeated Michigan 17-9, in 1979 – Defeated Ohio State, 17-16, in 1980 – Defeated Northwestern 41-32, in 1996
Pete Elliott (Michigan, California, Illinois)
As a player: 1-0; Defeated USC, 49-0, in 1948 (Michigan)
As a coach: 1-1; Lost to Iowa, 38-12, in 1959 (California) – Defeated Washington, 17-7, in 1964 (Illinois)
Bump Elliott (Michigan)
As a player: 1-0; Defeated USC, 49-0, in 1948
As a coach: 1-0; Defeated Oregon State , 34-7, in 1965
Tommy Prothro (Duke, Oregon State, UCLA)
As a player: 0-1; Lost to Oregon State, 20-16, in 1942 (Duke)
As a coach: 1-2; Lost to Iowa, 35-19, in 1957 (Oregon State) – Lost to Michigan 34-7, in 1965 (Oregon State) – Defeated Michigan State, 14-12, in 1966 (UCLA)
Chuck Taylor (Stanford)
As a player: 1-0; Defeated Nebraska, 21-13, in 1941
As a coach: 0-1; Lost to Illinois, 40-7, in 1952
Jess Hill (USC)
As a player: 1-0; Defeated Pittsburgh, 47-14, in 1930
As a coach: 1-1; Defeated Wisconsin, 7-0, in 1953 – Lost to Ohio State, 20-7, in 1955
Charles ‘Shy’ Huntington (Oregon)
As a player: 1-0; Defeated Penn, 14-0, in 1917
As a coach: 0-1; Lost to Harvard, 7-6, in 1919