Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh Religious Family And How He Grew Up

Jim Harbaugh, a former NFL quarterback and currently the head football coach of Michigan Wolverines, is a devout Roman Catholic. He has acknowledged the importance of religion in his life several times.

When asked why he chose the Wolverines’ starting quarterback at a news conference on Monday, August 29, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh amusingly cited many biblical passages.

Even though Harbaugh has been open about his religion and beliefs throughout his career and recently spoke at a religious gathering, his remarks on the spiritual reason for his team selection still had some reporters perplexed and criticized his decision-making based on faiths.

While at Michigan, Harbaugh spoke vocally about his Catholicism. He traveled to Italy in 2017 and went to the Vatican with his team to meet Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square. Excited after meeting with the pope, he said, “When I met Pope Francis today, I was riding on a state of grace.”

Besides, he has also been active in social justice concerns as the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback spoke in the wake of George Floyd’s death in 2020. Moreover, he is an anti-abortion supporter and said he and his wife are open to adopting and raising children of any staff of the Michigan football team.

In addition to being the son of college football coach Jack Harbaugh, Jim hails from a football and coaching family.

Jim Harbaugh, 58, was born James Joseph Harbaugh on December 23, 1963, in Toledo, Ohio, United States. The former Chicago bears quarterback was brought up by his parents, Jack Harbaugh and Jacqueline M. Harbaugh.

Jim is of mixed ethnicity as his father is of German and Irish roots, while his mother is partial of Sicilian and partially of Polish descent. He has a brother named John Harbaugh, who grew up playing football. His father, Jack, in the meantime was an assistant coach who used to train both of them when they were little.

His father, Jack, 83, was just like him and his brother, a football player turned coach. They all share a similar career path. Jack is well-known for serving as Western Kentucky’s head coach for over a decade, from 1989 to 2002. During the final year of his coaching tenure with Kentucky, the team won NCAA Division I-AA, and Jack was awarded AFCA NCAA Division I-AA COY.

Toledo, Ohio native Jim Harbaugh has married twice and bears the fathership of seven children. His first marriage with his former wife, Miah Harbaugh, lasted for ten years before they split in 2006. 

The relationship gave birth to three of his children, two sons, Jay and James, and a daughter, Grace. His elder son Jay is following the foot trails of his father as he began his career as the running backs coach at the University of Michigan after graduating from  Oregon State University. On the other hand, James shows interest in acting and is currently pursuing a theatre major. Daughter Grace is also a player but of whole another sports. She is a professional water polo player.

After Miah divorced, Jim married his second wife, Sarah Feuerborn Harbaugh, in 2008. The couple has four children, two sons, and two daughters. Jack and John, their two boys, are named after Jim’s father and uncle, respectively. Meanwhile, their daughters’ names are Addison and Katherine.

Besides, Panther Racing, a team in the IndyCar Series, was co-owned by Harbaugh. The team’s primary vehicle was sporting the number 4 from Harbaugh’s previous jersey. When the team won the IRL title in 2001 and 2002, it had the opportunity of moving up to No. 1 but opted to maintain No. 4 because of its connection to Harbaugh’s career. 

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The 59-year-old, the only sibling of Jim Harbaugh, John currently reigns as the head coach of NFL club the Baltimore Ravens. 

He formerly worked as the Philadelphia Eagles special teams coach for almost a decade, as well as their defensive backs coach. He joined the Eagles in 1998 and left the coaching role in 2007, 

A year later, Baltimore Ravens come knocking at his door. In addition, John holds the record for the most head coach playoff wins on the road, having done it six times in his first seven seasons as a head coach at Ravens. Aside from leading the club to victory in Super Bowl XLVII, Harbaugh has led the team to four AFC North division titles and three trips to the AFC Championship.

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