The whole Harbaugh family is in Houston for Michigan's national championship. But it took John Harbaugh a little longer than the others to arrive.
The Harbaugh parents Jack and Jackie Harbaugh were in the stands for the game. Jim Harbaugh's son, Jay Harbaugh, is the Wolverines' special teams coordinator, meaning he's on the sideline. And midway through the second quarter, John Harbaugh, the Ravens' head coach, appeared on the sideline.
It appeared as he went over to greet his brother that he caught Jim Harbaugh a bit by surprise as he was laser-focused on the goings-on of the national championship against Washington. John Harbaugh tapped the shoulder of Jim Harbaugh, who turned around and quickly realized it was his brother visiting him at his place of work.
Michigan HC Jim Harbaugh is greeted by his brother, Ravens HC John Harbaugh❤️ pic.twitter.com/rzFul6aata
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulli) January 9, 2024
BENDER: If this is Harbaugh's last college game, that's the sport's loss
It wasn't easy for John to get to Houston. A tornado watch and other severe weather in the area delayed flights to the region, including the one carrying John, former Michigan defensive coordinator and current Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald and other Ravens staffers who planned to arrive and support Jim's Wolverines.
ESPN's Pete Thamel reported the plane carrying Baltimore staffers was diverted to Austin and did not arrive in Houston until 6:30 p.m. CT, which was right around kickoff for the game.
The brothers have plenty of history sharing a football field. They squared off against one another in Super Bowl 47, the first time brothers had ever coached against each other in the NFL's title game. At the time, Jim Harbaugh was the coach of the 49ers. Baltimore won the game 34-31.
With Jim Harbaugh in college football — for now — John Harbaugh can have no problems cheering on his team. In two weeks, his Ravens will be back at it, starting their postseason run in the divisional round after earning a first-round bye.
