Michigan fans can sleep comfortably again. Jim Harbaugh is back.

The Wolverines’ head coach confirmed his return in a statement Monday. The news was also confirmed by Michigan president Santa Ono.

“I love the relationships that I have at Michigan – coaches, staff, families, administration, President Santa Ono and especially the players and their families,” Harbaugh said in the statement. “My heart is at the University of Michigan. I once heard a wise man say, ‘Don’t try to out-happy, happy.’ Go Blue!”

Harbaugh met with the Denver Broncos about their head coaching vacancy, and it was rumored that other teams had interest as well, including the Carolina Panthers. But the two-time reigning Big Ten champion head coach will sport the khakis on the Big House sidelines once again, undoubtedly looking to resolve some unfinished business. Harbaugh stated on Jan. 5 that he expected to be the head coach of Michigan in 2023, and those expectations have become reality.

After a tumultuous six-game 2020 season in which the Wolverines went 2-4, Harbaugh went from being on the hot seat at his alma mater to being an annual top candidate for NFL jobs in a very short amount of time. The turnaround of Michigan’s football program from perennial postseason disappointment to legitimate national championship contenders has been astounding, but the Wolverines are still looking to get over the hump of winning a College Football Playoff game.

The Wolverines have won 25 games in the last two seasons, the most in a two-year stretch in program history. They’ve won consecutive conference titles for the first time since 2003-04, and they’ve knocked off Ohio State in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1999-2000. Harbaugh and his staff have assembled an impressive roster through the recruiting trail and have an outstanding batch of transfers coming in this offseason.

The goal is clear for Harbaugh: bring a national championship to his alma mater, something he wasn’t able to accomplish as a quarterback in Ann Arbor under Bo Schembechler. The talent is undoubtedly there, and the schedule looks like another 11-win season is possible, with a trip to Beaver Stadium and a home edition of “The Game” being the biggest circles on the calendar.

The hype for this program is at an all-time high in the modern era of college football, a scenario in which the Wolverines have recently succumbed to postseason disappointment. Harbaugh has slowly led Michigan to the upper echelon of college football, but his return is a declaration that he intends to see to it that the Wolverines can climb to the top.