HOUSTON — As the old saying goes inside the Michigan football program, those who stay will be champions.

But Jim Harbaugh almost left the Wolverines behind two years ago when he flew to interview with the Minnesota Vikings on a cold February day.

To think what he may have missed had he been offered the job and accepted it.

He would have never been inside NRG Stadium on Monday night, leading his beloved alma mater to the national championship by beating the Washington Huskies, 34-13.

He wouldn’t have been soaked in blue Gatorade in the euphoric aftermath of the Wolverines’ impressive conquest.

He wouldn’t have been dusted with maize-and-blue confetti as he hoisted a gold trophy above his head. He wouldn't have draped a gaudy chain around his neck and slid on some buffs.

He wouldn't have begun thinking about the design of his first tattoo, which will permanently commemorate this season with a patch on his 60-year-old body.

He wouldn’t have been feted during an interview on ESPN, where moments before he went on air, receiver Semaj Morgan sidled up to him and told him, “You’re the man.”

Most of all he wouldn’t have celebrated the most monumental victory in his life with the ones he loves the most — father Jack, mother Jackie, brother John and sister Joani.

“Who’s got it better than us?” he said. “Nobody.”

It’s a phrase often repeated in his famous football family. But it never seemed more appropriate than now because it felt so true. Harbaugh had finally made it to the top after all these years by coaching his team to a perfect 15-0 record.

“Last one standing,” he boasted. “It’s a great feeling.”

It was even more gratifying because his ascension into the pantheon of Michigan Men followed the most perilous time in his career. That was back in 2020, when the Wolverines crashed to a 2-4 record and Harbaugh stood on shaky ground. A certain segment of fans had given up on him, believing he had turned into a chronic underachiever after five straight losses to Ohio State and repeated failures in the postseason.

As athletic director Warde Manuel looked out at the stadium where an LED board flashed the Block M alongside a graphic that read, “National Champions,” he reminisced about those dark days.

“People wanted me to get rid of him,” Manuel said. “I didn’t, because I believed in him.”

It proved to be a shrewd move. Harbaugh quickly resurrected the program. He reorganized his staff, changed the defensive scheme, re-emphasized the running game and revamped the culture within Schembechler Hall. His moves produced instantaneous results and Michigan was reborn.

In the year that followed, the Wolverines finally toppled the Buckeyes, claimed their first Big Ten title in 17 seasons and made their maiden voyage to the College Football Playoff. Harbaugh’s reputation had been restored. But the ultimate prize and true glory in this sport eluded him.

READ MORE: Michigan football is the last team standing – it feels like their destiny

Once upon a time, Harbaugh had come close to seizing it. His San Francisco 49ers were five yards away from winning Super Bowl 47 in February 2013. But, in a cruel twist of fate, that year’s Vince Lombardi Trophy would be handed to the Baltimore Ravens and his brother, John, instead.

It left Harbaugh with a feeling of emptiness and maybe even some inadequacy. Jack had won a Division 1-AA national title at Western Kentucky. John now had a Super Bowl victory. Jim wanted his own major championship.

“This was the goal,” Harbaugh’s mother, Jackie, said Monday. “It was always the goal.”

But Harbaugh had to suffer some more before he achieved it. A year ago, the Wolverines were dealt a shocking blow when they fell to TCU in the CFP semifinal, abruptly ending a season that featured another win over Ohio State and a second consecutive conference crown.

Soon thereafter, his program became the subject of an NCAA probe into impermissible recruiting and coaching activities. Harbaugh himself faced a Level I charge for allegedly misleading investigators. The fallout from the inquiry led to the school imposing a three-game suspension on Harbaugh at the outset of the season. Then the program became enveloped by scandal after a staffer was found to have run an in-person advanced scouting designed to steal the play signals of future opponents. The Big Ten stepped in and banned Harbaugh from the sideline for another three games during a tense period when both Michigan and its direct competitors were profoundly aggrieved.

As Harbaugh faced intense criticism, he became defiant. He also was more emboldened than ever, fueled by the hate he felt.

“He’s resilient,” his father, Jack, said. “You give him a challenge and he’ll find a way to overcome it. … That’s what he thrives on. That’s what he lives for. That’s what he responds to.”

It’s what motivated him this past month, when Michigan entered this CFP as the No. 1 seed but was viewed as an underdog in its matchup with Alabama. Many outsiders were skeptical of Harbaugh’s dreadful bowl record at Michigan, where he was 1-6. They also wondered if the Wolverines were good enough to beat an SEC team after they had been bum-rushed by Georgia in the semifinal round two years ago.

But Harbaugh and Michigan proved the doubters wrong again. They outmuscled the Crimson Tide in a thrilling 27-20 overtime victory during a majestic afternoon at the Rose Bowl, capping it with a gutsy goal-line stand at dusk. That set the stage for Harbaugh to meet his destiny in Houston and fulfill the promise that accompanied his ballyhooed return to Ann Arbor nine years ago.

So, there he stood on the sideline Monday, watching his beloved Wolverines whip the Huskies. The offensive line opened yawning holes and their talented set of running backs sprinted through them. Michigan ran for 303 yards — two more than Washington’s high-octane offense produced as Huskies star quarterback Michael Penix Jr. struggled to pierce the Wolverines' stingy defense. He completed 53% of his throws and averaged only five yards per attempt. This was Harbaugh football at its finest — tough, disciplined and successful.

“Just love it,” he said.

He reveled in the afterglow of victory, celebrating with his team and family. In many ways, they are one and the same to Harbaugh. So, he hugged quarterback J.J. McCarthy. He embraced his brother. He wrapped his arms around his dad. He kissed his mother. This was what he always wanted; the chance to be the best, to savor this sweet moment.

“That was everything,” he said. “It’s glorious.”

Yet it may never have happened had the Minnesota opportunity came to pass two years ago.

An experience of a lifetime would have been missed, and what a shame that would have been.

But as it turned out, Harbaugh didn’t go. He stayed. And on Monday, he became a champion — once and for all.

Michigan fans! Celebrate the national title with our two commemorative books: "Blue Reign: The Story of the 2023 Michigan Wolverines' Legendary Run to the National Championship" and "Maize & Grand: Michigan’s Epic March to the 2023 National Title" — Preorder now to save! You can also buy a commemorative copy of the front page of the Detroit Free Press from the morning after U-M's historic championship victory, and purchase our four-page special Stadium Section. 

Contact Rainer Sabin at rsabin@freepress.com. Follow him @RainerSabin.

When's the parade?

Michigan announced on Tuesday that a "formal celebration" for the national championship will likely take place Saturday. Details are schedule to be shared with the public on Wednesday. It is not clear where exactly a parade would take place, though the city of Ann Arbor is a safe bet.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Jim Harbaugh almost missed Michigan glory, but stayed & is now a champ