Grace Harbaugh never expected to become a social media name. Grace had only a small following when she began sharing casual videos of her father, Jim Harbaugh, during a family trip. What started as simple fun quickly turned into a viral sensation.
The clips showed Jim in classic “dad mode.” He was leading the family through airports, handling bags, and moving with a no-nonsense style. Grace paired the footage with popular sounds and trends on TikTok. The “Airport Dad” label stuck, and views shot up fast.
During a conversation with Impersonal Foul in July 2022, Grace stated that she couldn’t believe how much the fans enjoyed seeing coach Harbaugh in different settings.
“From that point on, I just decided to take some clips and hop on the airport dad trend on TikTok,” she said. “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.”
Airport Jim Harbaugh is just like every other dad 😂😂
(via @grace_harbaugh TikTok) pic.twitter.com/d3N3klmGr4
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) June 29, 2022
Soon, ‘Airport Jim’ was a big deal on social media. Fans loved seeing Jim outside the football world. He had already built a reputation as a fiery coach at Michigan, where he led the Wolverines from 2015 to 2023.
Now, he was being celebrated in a completely different way, as the dad who turned airport travel into a routine worth watching. When Coach Harbaugh was informed about his popularity by Grace, he simply couldn’t believe it.
“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,” Grace added.
Grace Harbaugh revealed that she read some of the comments from her videos to her dad, and it made his day. For Coach Harbaugh, it was amusing to witness how his regular activities were making people laugh.
The Many Shades of Jim Harbaugh
Jim Harbaugh, before the social media trend, was a legend in the football world. He has dedicated his life to football. Four years as a quarterback at Michigan, a 14-year NFL career, and a legendary head coaching stint that started in 2004 with the Toreros.
With the social media trend, he added another feather to his cap as an internet sensation. When ‘Airport Jim’ became a hit, Grace decided to share some other parts of her father’s life with the fans online.
— mpete91 (@mpete91) June 28, 2022
‘Excursion Jim’ is a part of his social media legacy, and so is the ‘Hallway Workout Jim’ moniker. During the interview, Grace talked about how ‘Hallway Workout Jim’ came to life.
“Hallway Workout Jim was a little surprising to say the least,” Grace said. “Me and one of my siblings were in our room when she goes, ‘Do you hear that? It sounds like someone’s working out.’ So I open the door to see him doing lunges and nonetheless in khakis.”
Grace turned him into a TikTok star by accident, and the videos remain a favorite reminder that even a high-profile coach can become a dad trend online.
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