Club named for Harbaugh

Brad Stephens

The stadium club at Smith Stadium, formerly known as the Topper Club, will now be known as the Jack and Jackie Harbaugh Stadium Club.

An official ceremony to commemorate the renaming will take place during a pre-game ceremony before WKU’s game Saturday night against Southern Mississippi.

Jack Harbaugh coached WKU from 1989-2002, compiling a 91-68 record.

He coached two teams being honored at halftime on Saturday, the 1992 “Save the Program” team and the 2002 I-AA national championship team.

Harbaugh is the father of San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh and Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh.

Jack Harbaugh said President Gary Ransdell presented him with the idea to rename the area in honor of him and his wife.

“For me personally, the most important thing is to have both of our names on that,” Jack Harbaugh said. “…We’ve been married 51 years.

“I talk about the team as it relates to athletic teams I’ve been a part of, but Jackie and I look at our marriage and our involvement and what we’ve done for all these years as a team effort. To see both of our names — especially hers, because she’s the rock of the family — is really exciting.”