The one major selling point about Kyle Whittingham and his former Utah staff was that they were able to do more with less. And a big component of that was that they were exemplary teachers, along with being above-average tacticians schematically. And perhaps the most successful of the Whittingham staff over time in Salt Lake City has been offensive line coach Jim Harding.
Harding was originally from northern Ohio and coached high school ball in Troy, Michigan, before ultimately ending up with the Utes. In a video released by Michigan football on Monday, he shared a bit more of his ethos and how he approaches coaching more from the vantage of an educator than a traditional coach.
“My background is as a teacher, and so really the technique and fundamentals I enjoy really diving into the specifics of that,” Harding said. “Back in the day, it was teaching math, but now teaching the game of football, every kid learns a little bit differently, whether that’s individual meetings, film, just that time that it takes to understand how each kid learns differently. I think my background has definitely helped in that, but I enjoy trying to connect with each kid and finding that way to help them learn best.”
It takes a certain type of student-athlete to thrive in both an academic and athletic scenario, but all players are capable of learning — it’s a question of if they’re able to be coached.
For Harding, he believes his room in Ann Arbor is perfectly acclimatized to his brand of coaching, given the culture that exists with Michigan football. But it’s not solely about the players, but having a coach above them who also prioritizes a culture of growth. So with the marriage between the Wolverines and Kyle Whittingham, it’s kind of a perfect fit for what Harding wants to do, because there’s growth, learning, and accountability, all wrapped into one.
“Players are the ones I gravitate to that are eager to learn, that are hungry, that want to be the best,” Harding said. “Those are the type of people that I want to surround myself with, and I think that’s what we have here. I think everybody knows exactly where they stand at all times. Everybody has a defined role. (Whittingham’s) going to hold you to that role and the expectations that are very explicitly said, communicated. To me, that’s all you can ask for in a boss, and this is what I tell people all the time. He’s demanding; he can be aggressive at times in terms of how he approaches, but at the end of the day, you know exactly where you stand. I think the players do as well. I think those roles that are defined are going to allow each person in his organization to know exactly what it takes to be successful and how they fit into that puzzle.”
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Jim Harding brings a teacher mindset to Michigan
Reporting by Isaiah Hole, Wolverines Wire / Wolverines Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Isaiah Hole, Wolverines Wire | USA TODAY Network
