ORLANDO, Fla. -- Jim Harbaugh's been through plenty of football seasons.

As a player at Michigan and in the National Football League for 14 years. He won awards, titles, countless games and just about everything in between.

As a coach, Harbaugh spent time mentoring Andrew Luck, resurrecting Stanford, working with professionals and hitting milestones. He's coached in the Super Bowl ... twice, actually.

But, apparently, all of those seasons have nothing on his first year with the Wolverines.

"Personally, I would look at this as the best year I've had in football," Harbaugh said Thursday afternoon on the eve of the Citrus Bowl. "If we win this game."

Harbaugh's first season at Michigan was a lightning rod from the very first day. Every national network in the country carried his introductory press conference last December. NFL teams were stunned at his decision to walk away from the professional ranks to return to his alma mater.

Fans became Harbaugh-obsessed instantly, as Michigan's attendance woes were repaired basically overnight and the general demand for khaki pants in Ann Arbor became rather high.

All eyes have been focused on Harbaugh everywhere he's been. He was, without question, the biggest story in the country this offseason and the attention hasn't really subsided.

But behind closed doors, Harbaugh says he's simply been allowed to do what he loves the most.

Work. Without interference or interruption. From day one to present.

"We just started, we just started working at the job Dec. 30 (2014)," Harbaugh said. "Every single day was 'get up, work and see if we can't make today better than yesterday and tomorrow better than today.' That remains the expectation.

"But it's been a joy, when I look back over this year, it's been a joy to coach this team."

For Harbaugh, it's been a combination of everything.

He now lives in what he's always called his favorite boyhood home in Ann Arbor. He's sending his young children to the same elementary school he attended, just down the street from his childhood house.

He's working at a university that means a lot to him personally, at a place where he says he matured into an adult. He's working in his mentor's office, and he lives just down the street from where Bo Schembechler once resided years ago.

Football, family and Michigan -- all combined -- has pushed this toward the top of the chart, Harbaugh says.

"The coaching staff has come together and really worked well together. I've learned a lot of football from our coaches and our staff. I see Jim Minnick in the back there, we've been best friends since the third grade and now we work together," he said. "I get to coach with my son, Jay. There's been a lot of things that would make this my most enjoyable year of football.

"If we win this game."

He also spoke at length Thursday about how much he's enjoyed being around Michigan's roster. "A bunch of great guys that have worked extremely hard," he says.

Michigan went 9-3 this season. It didn't win a championship. It's not the best win-loss record Harbaugh's ever had, and certainly not the worst.

But for Michigan's coach, that's really beside the point.

A year ago he said he followed his heart to Ann Arbor.

A year later, he's glad he did.

"I've searched my feelings, I've thought long and hard about it," he said. "Win this game, and this will be my favorite year in football."

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