Harbaugh Speaks At Bishop Chatard
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh spoke following the satellite camp at Bishop Chatard High School in Indianapolis this morning. Here’s what he had to say.
Harbaugh touched on…
Alabama coach Nick Saban’s comments on satellite camps: “I was amazed. Were you amazed? Were you not amazed at that? I was amazed. It was amazing. How can you not find it amazing?”
Why it was amazing: “It seemed hypocritical.”
Saban’s comment that such camps are bad for college football: “Were you not amazed? That’s my question for you.”
The start to the satellite camps tour: “It was so good. It was so fun. I remember looking back at last year and saying, this was the most fun I’ve had … I can’t remember when I’ve had this much fun.
“To get to do it even more is a great privilege, a blessing. It’s an honor to be doing it. Connecting with the football world, is how I see it. The youngsters at least learned some things – one, two, three, four good things they can take with them.
“It was a good, productive, healthy start. Onward.”
Being back in Indianapolis: “I’ll tell you, my soul is happy wherever my body takes me. But when it takes me to Indy, I’m really happy.
“These were signature years out of my life, some of the best years of my memory. I had one son that was born here in Indy, and he’s now going to be a sophomore at Michigan. Good times, good friends that I played with, legendary coaches I played for.
“There’s a lot of good, genuine, down-to-earth people here in Indiana. It’s great to be back.”
How the camps will go: “When we go to a camp, we’re working at the pleasure of Bishop Chatard, and that’s how it works. Tonight might be different. Tomorrow may be different.”
No Peru Ball: “I found it harder to get done everything I wanted to do, and we wanted to get done in a three-hour period. There’s a lot to get done, and there’s not much time. It just went by like that, didn’t it?
“It felt to me like it flew by, and we couldn’t get every drill in. But we did quite a bit of good stuff.”
Attacking recruiting: “We have a lot of fun. We have a great staff, and enjoy each other’s company. These are guys that are great football coaches who, above even a strong desire to win, are real gentlemen.
“They represent our University in a first-class manner that we aspire to. I couldn’t be more happy with our staff.”
Coaches who criticized satellite camps now attending them: “I’m glad they’ve come around and I look forward to it. I always look forward to connecting to as much of the football world as humanly possible, and being around other coaches.
“High school coaches, grade school coaches, college coaches, pro coaches … it doesn’t get any better than that. That’s connecting to all of the coaches, and we’re connecting to a lot of the people who are in football.
“I’m very looking forward to it.”
Those in Samoa: “They’re hard to get a hold of. I’ve talked to Chris Partridge, and saw a picture of Rick Finotti. Mike Switzer’s mom, who was out here today, she hadn’t talked to him yet.
“I haven’t talked to Jay [Harbaugh], but I’m looking forward to hearing all about it. I’m really looking forward to going myself.”
Reaching out internationally: “We’re connecting to as much of the football world as we possibly can. I’m looking forward to it. I’ve never been [to Samoa].”
Going to Waco: “My understanding, right now, is that they’re not doing football camps this summer.”