It's different for Taylor Lewan. While a number of former Michigan football stars can bemoan the state of the program, Lewan doesn't really have the right.
"When I stepped into Michigan in 2009, I don’t believe my head was above water for more than five minutes at one point with wins," Lewan told the Stoney & Jansen Show Friday. "It was a tough swing. So when I go as a (former) player and critique these coaches, it’s kind of the pot calling the kettle black. We weren’t very successful when I was there."
Over Lewan's five seasons at Michigan, during which time he was a two-time All-American and two-time Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year, the Wolverines went 36-28 -- winning percentage of .593. They're 29-16 in the last four seasons under Jim Harbaugh -- a winning percentage of .644. Harbaugh is 49-22 overall.
So from Lewan's vantage point, the most scrutinized coach in college football has done a pretty good job.
"I think Harbaugh is a great coach," he said. "The staff he has around him, they’ve been amazing to me the few times I’ve come back up since I left. I just want to see these kids come in, be successful, get drafted, go through a great process. It’s not fun when you’re losing games, I can speak to that from experience."
That said, Lewan sees two major areas in which Harbaugh's program needs to improve: recruiting and player development.
"I just think that with all the resources we have at Michigan, with the amazing alumni we have, the backing by the city, the rich history and tradition, it shouldn’t be a difficult thing to get those top-notch kids there. But what do you do with them when they’re there? How do you get the full potential out of those kids? I don’t think it’s happened, and I don’t think it happened when I was there either.
"You're kind of going back to, when’s the last time we won a Big Ten Championship, 2004? We’ve fallen out of relevance a little bit. And that’s something where you have to look in the mirror and say, 'OK, what’s next for us? What are we going to do?'"
Michigan's incoming recruiting class ranks No. 12 in the country and No. 2 in the Big Ten, according to 247 Sports. It's headlined by five-star QB J.J. McCarthy and one of the nation's top running backs in West Bloomfield's Donovan Edwards. But recruiting hasn't been the issue for Harbaugh, so much as maximizing talent once it arrives.
The other issue, of course, is Ohio State. With each year, it feels like the Buckeyes pull further out of Michigan's reach. Which means Lewan hears about it all the time from his head coach on the Titans, former Ohio State All-American Mike Vrabel.
"I tell you what, it’s verbal assault, it really is. Every third week in November, man, I got my lawyers with me when Vrabel’s around," he said. "Because it’s tough, dude, it’s been a tough few years. I hate saying it. I think the last time we won that game, I was there, and I was a junior.
"It’s hard, it’s hard to be on a Detroit radio show and to sit here and be like, 'Dang, I wish we did more against Ohio State,' and especially because my coach is like that. It’s tough."