Coaches final words before Monday’s winner take all contest.

Washington Huskies head coach Kalen DeBoer and his counterpart Jim Harbaugh met the  media just a little over 24 hours before Monday’s National Championship game.  Here is what the coaches had to say about the big game and the journey to get there.

MUTUAL  RESPECT

Both coaches have won at various levels in their careers and as a result there is mutual respect.

JIM HARBAUGH

Also want to congratulate University of Washington, coach Kalen DeBoer, his staff. Truly nothing but respect for the job that they have done, that Coach has done. Truly a remarkable coach. I’ve followed your career. Amazing job at Fresno State. And what you’ve done at Washington in a short period of time is truly amazing.

And we’re honored to be here. We are going to have to play really good. We’re going to have to play really good. And I think our team is ready. Still the hay is not in the barn. It never is for us. Still polishing. Still working. But super excited, super excited to watch our players go out there and compete tomorrow night. Thank you.

KALEN DEBOER

And Coach Harbaugh, I’ve broke down a lot of film of Coach Harbaugh’s teams over the years, not just Michigan, but others as well. And just sharing with him. I can remember a lot of the big plays he’s been part of at different places.

But amazing football team that they’ve put together here over not just one year but many years and building up to this point.

So it’s going to be a great game, and we know we need to be at our best. Proud of our players and our staff for the way that they’ve just continued to grind here, going into the last couple of weeks.

COACHES PHILOSOPHY ON   RESTING PLAYERS AFTER SEMIFINAL WIN

JIM HARBAUGH: We decided to fly right back after the game in Pasadena. Felt like it saved us some hours, get back to Ann Arbor, get rest in our own beds. Allowed a lot of the guys to sleep in each day.

And then Friday traveled here. That approach really, it was the same – we try to duplicate an in-season week as far as the preparation, what we do on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.

And it had been about a month since we had done it that way. But I think it was good. I think our guys really handled their business well. Have been feeling right, getting their rest, getting their sleep, hydrating, putting in the game plan and practicing it.

I think we’re in a good place. I feel like we had a really good practice yesterday. Guys were in rhythm, ready to go. And one more day to polish and we’ll sleep in tomorrow, see if we can’t cut the day a little bit in half, and make it into our routine for game day. But that’s probably more similar than it was different.

KALEN DEBOER: I think with our Sugar Bowl being such a late game and us actually gaining hours going back to Seattle, we just stayed the night there. Sent the coaching staff back early, right after the game, let them get to work on the plan.

And then much like Coach Harbaugh said, I think I felt the same way. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, trying to make it as familiar as we have, just like we’ve done the entire season, the last two years.

Being in our own beds and being around our own facilities, just the efficiency that it allowed us to have. We felt that was the best-case scenario.

And then getting down here. It’s been good. Had a good practice yesterday. Get in the facility there and get a feel for that, brought some good juice to our guys and had a nice, clean practice. And gotta continue to build and have a great day today leading up to tomorrow.

FOUNDATIONS OF BUILDING A   CHAMPIONSHIP FOOTBALL TEAM

KALEN DEBOER: I think I would just hang our hat on what we consider our non-negotiables – family, accountable, tough. You’ve got to be tough to play the game, mentally, physically.

There’s got to be accountability in all ways – player to player, player to coach, coach to coach, coach to player. And I think it always comes down to love. You’ve got to have a family environment. And just those type of things are what really draw you together.

And when it comes down to those big impact moments, that trust that you’ve had because of the communication, because you do care, because you have a family-type environment that hopefully everyone’s been a part of facilitating, I think those are some of the keys. I know there’s a lot more.

But the trust and communication leading to that environment, the accountability, and toughness that it takes to win on the football field.

JIM HARBAUGH: Tremendous. Everything that Kalen just said. And I would add, it’s a thousand things. It’s a thousand little things that add up to make all the difference. A lot of things that people think are the little things or the minutia. To me, it’s all those things.

If you boil it down to just a couple things, get really good at football. That’s the thing you’re passionate about, that you found in your life that you love and have passion for. So let’s get as good at it as we possibly can in training and practice, in games.

And then just the very last thing to think about is just make sure you have given it your very best. That way you’ll feel good about whatever you accomplish.

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