Tom Crean with his wife Joani Harbaugh. | Source: Getty Images
When Joani Harbaugh, Tom Crean's wife, is at a game, no referee is spared her eagle-eye glare. Though she did not go into a professional sport, she has the same competitive streak as the men in her life.
Joani Harbaugh grew up in a football family but changed sports allegiances in the '90s when she married basketball coach Tom Crean. She credits her background as a coach's daughter for understanding the 24/7 mentality her husband has about work.
The Pittsburgh grad declared herself Switzerland when the two NFL teams coached by her brothers went up against each other at the Super Bowl XLVII in 2013. Her husband gets along very well with his brothers-in-law.
Joani Didn't Plan to Marry a Coach
Joani is the youngest child of former Western Kentucky University (WKU) football coach Jack Harbaugh and Jackie Harbaugh. Her brother John Harbaugh is six years her senior, and Jim Harbaugh has five years on her.
Even with the age gap, the future NFL coaches let her hang out with them. However, age what not the only reason she could not keep up with her brothers. Though she participated in volleyball and softball, she admits she has no athletic talent.
Her competitive nature came through in other ways. She was "highly offended" when she was overlooked as Dorothy or Glinda in a school production of "The Wizard of Oz" and regulated to a munchkin role.
Jack and Jackie Harbaugh address the media during a news conference at the Media Center on, January 30, 2013, in New Orleans, Louisiana. | Source: Getty Images
So Joani put herself in the position of being the understudy of every part by learning the entire script. John remembers how she performed the play, down to each inflection, around the house for a year.
Her eldest brother insists that she was their parent's favorite child. The brothers shared a room in their Iowa home in the 1970s while she had her own space.
When life as a coach's daughter became hard, she could commiserate with her elementary school friend Kristy McCartney, whose father is Bill McCartney, College Football Hall of Fame coach. The girls met at St. Francis of Assisi in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh (R) celebrates with his brother, head coach John Harbaugh (L) of the Baltimore Ravens after the Ravens defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-17 in their AFC Wild Card game at Heinz Field, on January 3, 2015, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. | Source: Getty Images
Tom and Joani met in the early 1990s when he was WKU's assistant basketball coach. Some in the college's sports department wondered if she hadn't had enough coaches in her life already, a sentiment she shares. She contends that marrying a coach was not by design.
Tom characterizes her as opinionated, intelligent, and hates to be wrong though she rarely is. He figures the University of Pittsburgh grad could have been a CEO or an industrial psychologist. The coach elaborated:
"She'll race our kids in the pool, and she's not letting our two oldest beat her in anything. She wants to win. Joani is not going to lose an argument. To grow up in that house, you had to be competitive."
Joani Once Shared How It Is to Have a Family with Coach
The Creans have three children, Megan, Riley, and Ainsley, whose happiness is more important to Joanie than the wins of her husband's team. But his job does bleed into most parts of the family's existence.
During his final season as Hoosiers head coach, the team lost 16 games.
A fun family night out sometimes means watching two halves of high school basketball games featuring Tom's recruits. In 2012, she recalled one such outing as "a blast."
In 2017 Tom Was out as Coach for Indiana
It took Tom three years to rebuild the Indiana Hoosiers basketball program after he took the reins in 2008 with only two returning players. His predecessor Kelvin Sampson had left in disgrace during a scandal. Eight years into Tom's tenure, he was sacked over performance. His former boss said:
"Tom Crean brought us through one of the most challenging periods in IU basketball history, led his players to many successes in the classroom and on the court, and represented our university with class and integrity."
Tom Crean of the Indiana Hoosiers watches from the sidelines against the Wisconsin Badgers during the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at Verizon Center, on March 10, 2017 in Washington, DC. | Source: Getty Images
The university decided to change the leadership of its men's basketball program as it sought consistency and "high levels of success." During his final season as Hoosiers head coach, the team that was once ranked third in the country lost 16 games.
He once called on his successful brothers-in-law to give the Hoosiers a pep-talk after a major loss. The coach reckons the NFL leaders' universal message of having the right attitude led his team to the N.C.A.A. tournament.
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