Michigan Wolverines football coach Jim Harbaugh has become a TikTok star with the help of his daughter, Grace Harbaugh, who is on the water polo team at the University of Michigan.
Harbaugh’s daughter began sharing videos on her TikTok, where she has thousands of followers, in 2022, giving a glimpse into the Michigan coach’s personal life. The videos show the Harbaughs on vacation, enjoying family time together and celebrating the Wolverines’ victories.
Grace Harbaugh is one of Jim Harbaugh’s seven children. She and her brothers, Jay and James Jr., are from his first marriage. According to the Michigan website, the Wolverines coach also has four children, two daughters and two sons, with his current wife, Sarah Harbaugh.
Grace Harbaugh’s TikTok Videos From Their Family Vacation Went Viral in June 2022 With the Michigan Football Coach Dubbed ‘Airport Jim’
Grace Harbaugh’s videos of her father, Jim Harbaugh, first gained the attention of social media users in June 2022, when he posted a series of clips from their family vacation. The videos quickly racked up millions of views.
In her first video, she wrote, “Airport Jim: activated.” The video shows the Michigan Wolverines coach doing “some light yard work to kick off the trip,” before leading the family into the airport donning a University of Michigan tracksuit.
Another video, shot poolside once they escaped an 11-hour layover in the airport, Jim Harbaugh can be seen rapping the lyrics of Eminem’s “Lose Yourself,” as his father, longtime college football coach Jack Harbaugh, nods along in a nearby seat. In another video clip, Harbaugh, wearing his signature khakis, can be seen exercising in the hallway of the family’s hotel.
Grace Harbaugh told Impersonal Foul in July, “I had no idea that it would go viral. Before posting these videos I had about 100 followers. When I drove over to my family’s house the day of the trip and saw him on the lawn mower cutting grass as we had to leave, I knew I had to at least take a video for the rest of the family and my friends who know what he’s like. From that point on, I just decided to take some clips and hop on the airport dad trend on TikTok. After getting off a flight and seeing the response, I couldn’t believe it! It’s so funny because it’s just how he is, too.”
According to the interview, the family traveled to Italy, including to Sicily, where her great grandfather emigrated from. She told Impersonal Foul about her dad’s reaction, “I told him the videos had gone viral as he was having some KFC during our 11 hour layover. He couldn’t believe it and thought it was hysterical. I read him some of the comments and it definitely made his day to hear that the things he does made other people laugh.”
After the popularity of the vacation videos, she has also shown her father celebrating Michigan’s wins with their family and eating KFC corn on the cob as the “Corn Kid” song plays.
Grace Harbaugh Is in Her Senior Season at Michigan & Is an Intern With the Detroit Lions
Grace Harbaugh is in her senior season on the Wolverines water polo team, according to her biography on the Michigan website. She said in a quote on the bio page, “Growing up in a family that was passionate about Michigan, the love for the University was instilled in me at a young age. I grew up singing the fight song and watching football games. I fell in love with the traditions, academics, athletics, and opportunities Michigan has to offer.”
She added, “I started playing when I was fourteen years old. I was a swimmer all my life, and while I loved it, I missed certain aspects of a team sport. I found water polo and it was a combination of everything I loved about sports. I’ve been hooked ever since.”
According to her Instagram page, Grace Harbaugh is also an intern with the Detroit Lions. According to her LinkedIn profile, she has been working in community relations since July 2022. She is studying art history, criticism and conservation at Michigan, according to her LinkedIn page.
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Grace Harbaugh: Michigan Coach’s Daughter Has Made Her Dad a TikTok Star