Univ. of Michigan fans yesterday "began to flock to U-M's official merchandise retailer to place their orders for No. 4 jerseys" in honor of reported new football coach Jim Harbaugh, according to Jeremy Allen of MLIVE.com. The M Den co-Owner Scott Hirth said that orders "have been coming in at a steady rate" for jerseys with the number Harbaugh wore during his playing days at UM from '83-86. Hirth: "We do a custom jersey program with any number and a name on the back, and there have been several orders. Name and number is not something we do for a current or former players, so customers have just been ordering No. 4 jerseys." Hirth said that he "has not been given any official word of who the coach will be, but when the new coach announcement is made, and if it is a former player, the store would have jerseys for that coach and former player, and maybe other merchandise as well." He added that The M Den "will partner with Adidas," and both companies "will print jerseys in the instance that a former player is named as the coach" (MLIVE.com, 12/30). The DETROIT NEWS reports Harbaugh's impending hire "has inspired a new T-shirt design at the online store at MGoBlog.com, a website for UM fans." The T-shirt reads: "Welcome to beautiful Ann Arbaugh." It is "available in blue or maize, and is priced at $19.99" (DETROITNEWS.com, 12/29).
