Jim Harbaugh knows what his strengths are.
And like any good coach, Michigan's new head coach certainly isn't shying away from them.
Addressing the media following his first national signing day in Ann Arbor—as a coach—Harbaugh noted that both he and several of his assistants possess experience in the NFL. But rather than distancing himself from the perception that he's a "pro coach," the former San Francisco 49ers head man is embracing it.
"A lot of our players, that's one of their goals, to make it to the NFL," Harbaugh said. "We don't discourage that. In fact, we try to teach it."
The recruiting impact of Harbaugh's NFL experience is obvious, with even potential No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston admitting to MGoBlue.com that he wishes he could have played for the Wolverines' new coach. But while Harbaugh's NFL influence will boost Michigan's efforts on the recruiting trail, it will also be apparent on the field this fall.
Although the spread offense is prominent at the college level—just look at Harbaugh's new archrival, Ohio State—Harbaugh understandably opts for a pro-style system. At first glance, that's the same style of offense Brady Hoke tried to run during his time in Ann Arbor, but make no mistake, Harbaugh's will look different from his predecessor's.
First and foremost, Harbaugh will have the opportunity to play with his preferred type of quarterback much sooner than Hoke did, as the former Wolverines coach was stuck trying to mesh spread signal-callers Denard Robinson and Devin Gardner into his pro-style system. The defacto front-runner in the race to be Harbaugh's first quarterback in Ann Arbor appears to be Shane Morris, who was the nation's third-ranked pro-style quarterback in the 2013 class.
But should Morris not take the reins as expected this spring, Harbaugh will have no shortage of pro-style passers to turn to. Redshirt freshman Wilton Speight remains on option, as do true freshmen Alex Malzone and Zach Gentry, each of whom fits their head coach's pro-style preference.
Harbaugh—who spent 14 years playing quarterback in the NFL, including a Pro Bowl season in 1995—has a track record of developing football's most important position that speaks for itself. As the head coach at Stanford he helped develop No. 1 overall pick Andrew Luck, and with the 49ers he turned Colin Kaepernick from backup to Super Bowl starter.
In fact, Harbaugh's work with the Kaepernick may be what's most telling when it comes to projecting how the Wolverines offense will change. In order to best incorporate Kaepernick's dual-threat ability, San Francisco implemented both elements of pro-style and spread systems into its offense.
The progression of Kaepernick—who primarily ran a pistol offense during his college career at Nevada—even caught the eye of Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer, who was looking for wrinkles to add to his own offense at the end of the 2012 season.
"The San Francisco team was the one that really—I mean I just sat there," Meyer said during an interview on The Dan Patrick Show in 2013. "They actually do something we donʼt do. I can assure you weʼre going to do it next year. That's how good they were. I just give credit to guys like Coach Harbaugh."
Eventually, Meyer revealed that it was the 49ers' diamond formation that intrigued him so much, with running backs lining up on each side and behind a dual-threat quarterback. And while quarterbacks create the headlines—especially when Harbaugh's involved—it was San Francisco's run game that truly defined his time in the Bay Area.
Behind the power-running style of Frank Gore, the 49ers ranked in the top four in team rushing in each of Harbaugh's final three seasons in San Francisco. That bodes well for the running backs already on Michigan's roster, whom Hoke recruited with a power run game in mind.
Between USC transfer Ty Isaac (6'3", 225 lbs), Derrick Green (5'11", 220 lbs), De'Veon Smith (5'11", 220 lbs) and Drake Johnson (6'0", 211 lbs), Harbaugh shouldn't have much trouble finding running backs who play with a style similar to Gore's. Of course, the play of Michigan's offensive line will determine its success on the ground, an area where the Wolverines are admittedly lacking at the moment.
But perhaps what's most important for Michigan at this pivotal point in program history is Harbaugh's willingness to adapt. He certainly did it in the NFL, bringing spread elements to a pro scheme, and he may not even have to do it as much this year, thanks to a roster already possessing plenty of pro-style pieces.
Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Big Ten Lead Writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BenAxelrod. Unless noted otherwise, all quotes obtained firsthand. All statistics courtesy of cfbstats.com. Recruiting rankings courtesy of 247Sports.
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