ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — A few blocks from the Big House, Jim Harbaugh's barber works in a small shop that doubles as a shrine to Michigan football. Iconic jerseys of Wolverines past — such as Anthony Carter's No. 1, Desmond Howard's No. 21, and yes, Harbaugh's No. 4 — are displayed high on the wall inside.
Like so many Michigan fans, Bill Stolberg watched with dismay as one of college football's storied programs stumbled through an almost numbing mediocrity under Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke. Now Harbaugh, the once brash, fearless quarterback for the Wolverines, has returned to Ann Arbor, having accepted the challenge of trying to coach Michigan back to the top of the Big Ten.