Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh made a surprise virtual appearance to a group of schoolchildren in … Ohio.
Harbaugh appeared on the morning announcements at St. Aloysius Catholic School in Bowling Green, Ohio, on Monday morning. Both Jim and John Harbaugh attended the school in the 1970s when their father, Jack, was an assistant coach at Bowling Green.
Tom Konecny, who has three children at the school, decided to email Jack Harbaugh to see whether Jim Harbaugh could tape a message to lift up the students’ spirits as they work from home during the coronavirus pandemic. Konecny himself has ties to Bowling Green and Michigan, so he was hoping that would help grant his request.
Jack Harbaugh got the email and called Konecny with the good news. Jim Harbaugh would tape the message. He told Konecny he would try to get John, coach of the Baltimore Ravens, to tape a message after the NFL draft.
So on a video posted to Facebook on Monday morning, St. Aloysius principal Andrea Puhl opened the morning announcements to say she would not lead them but introduce a surprise guest instead.
“Good morning, St. Aloysius, this is coach Jim Harbaugh wishing you a great day on this beautiful April 27!” he started. Not surprisingly, Harbaugh made sure to get in his two trademark phrases.
“Who could possibly have it better than us?” he said. “The answer to that is nobody. So do that again with me. Who’s got it better than us? Nobody!”
Harbaugh then offered a piece of advice, “Attack this day with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind.”
Harbaugh also led students in daily prayer with his daughter, Addie, and the pledge of allegiance before signing off with “Go Blue!”
Bowling Green is right in the heart of the Michigan-Ohio State divide. But as one parent wrote in response to the message, “SO AWESOME! What a great guy!!! Still cheering for the bucks but you have forever fans in our home coach.”
“Both [Jack] and Coach Jim were so down-to-earth and friendly,” Konecny said in an email message. “The feedback has been *so* incredibly positive, many surprised families.”