AP Photo/AJ Mast
Harbaugh was named the Associated Press College Football Coach of the Year.
Harbaugh beat out Fickell according to McMurphy. Michigan State's Mel Tucker was fourth and Dave Aranda was third.
The Michigan team is the second best team in the nation. They won the Big Ten Championship Game for the first time last week, beating Iowa 42-3, thus earning them a spot in the College Football Playoff for the first time.
Harbaugh is the first Michigan head coach to win the AP award and the first Big Ten coach since Joe Paterno in 2005.
Harbaugh was the first coach to win the AP College Football Head Coach of the Year and the NFL Coach of the Year awards. The San Francisco 49ers had Harbaugh as their coach in 2011.
Harbaugh was under the gun entering the 2021 season because Michigan has achieved some success under him.
In the shortened 2020 season, the UM went just 4-2, had never won more than 10 games in a season, and had never beaten Ohio State under Harbaugh.
In 2021, the UM are 12-1 and have a spot in the Big Ten title game.
Fickell, Aranda, and Tucker helped their teams exceed expectations this season, which made Harbaugh a strong contender for the AP Coach of the Year award.
The first Group of Five team to reach the College Football Playoff is the Cincinnati team.
Aranda has the Bears in seventh place with an 11-2 record. The Bears upset the then-No. Oklahoma State won the Big 12 Championship Game.
Tucker was named Big Ten Coach of the Year for the second season in a row. The only loss of the season was by Michigan.
Harbaugh and the Michigan are preparing to face Georgia in the Orange Bowl.
