ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Before Jim Harbaugh built Michigan back into a national power, the coach was nearly kicked to the curb in Ann Arbor, Mich. Patience with Harbaugh’s plans wore thin. Recruiting was lagging. Fans called for his firing.
But Michigan kept Harbaugh and he raised a national title trophy in 2023.
As USC coach Lincoln Riley saw it, that was the sort of commitment required to rebuild a top program from the ground up. Like Harbaugh, he had no plans of letting outside pressure derail his process at USC.