I'm not proud to admit this, but I'm one of the few who has not fallen in love with Apple TV's hit show Ted Lasso (which was recently renewed for a fourth season), but this most recent piece of information may just change that.
Ted Lasso has exploded into a rare worldwide pop culture phenomenon, due in large part to the quirkiness and wisdom of Lasso himself.
During a live show in LA, Jason Sudeikis, who of course plays Ted Lasso and is one of the show's co-creators, was asked about how they came to the decision in the writers room of the show for Lasso's wardrobe, and what they borrowed from coach Harbaugh for the Lasso character, and Sudekis had an enlightening answer.
To fully answer what the host asked, the winner of four Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globes pulled out his phone and read, word-for-word, the text exchange between Harbaugh and himself from 2019.
Sudeikis opened the conversation by asking the former Michigan head coach about what he wears on game days and how he prepares his travel clothing for away games early on in their filming of the first season of the show.
Harbaugh's full response is worth listening to in the clip, but in summation he shares that the equipment manager will typically pack duplicate clothes for him during games when it is very hot or during inclement weather, so he would have something clean to wear on the bus or plane home, always with a fresh pair of socks and underwear too. Away games Harbaugh shared he will pack a toothbrush too, but he's not into wearing a suit for the walk from the hotel to the bus, and then into the stadium like a lot of coaches and players prefer to do.
If you're interested in rolling the clip back a bit, Sudeikis' time on the stage was preceded by Harbaugh for some additional context - although the host of the show does note while he recognizes Harbaugh, he didn't even know he was a football coach until earlier that day.
Whether or not one can actually imagine Jim in the shoes of Lasso, leaving American football to take over a professional soccer team overseas is a question left better for actual fans of the show, but residing in Michigan for most of my life I wouldn't put anything past the current leader of the Chargers and former Wolverines head coach.
Nonetheless, fun to hear how one of America's most iconic coaches, who led the Wolverines to the national title before leaving for the NFL, inspired the lead character of a hit top TV show.