Sonny Dykes had nice invitation for Jim Harbaugh

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh watches warmups before a game against Northern Illinois at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021.

Jim Harbaugh and Sonny Dykes have quite a bit in common. They also have a history as their fathers were both competitors and friends.

During a pre-Fiesta Bowl press conference on Friday, Harbaugh and Dykes reminisced about their fathers. Spike Dykes was a long-time coach at Texas Tech while Jack Harbaugh spent many years at both Western Michigan and Western Kentucky.

During their respective careers, Spike and Jack would make it a point to meet at a local hotel bar for what they called “the clinic after the clinic.” During those sitdowns, the coaches would share a drink and discuss the evolution of coaching.

It’s a tradition that Spike carried out with many other rival coaches as well.

“He (Jack Harbaugh) just talked so fondly about that. He was at a clinic with Spike Dykes, and one of his great memories of coaching and talking ball,” Jim Harbaugh said, via the Star-Telegram.

With Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan Wolverines set to square off against Sonny Dykes’ TCU Horned Frogs on Saturday for a chance to head to the National Championship Game, Sonny channeled his later father.

Jim Harbaugh and Sonny Dykes talked about growing up as coaches’ kids. Dykes recalled his dad drinking late at home with a rival coach the night before a game. He jokingly invited Harbaugh for a 1 a.m. bourbon before the Fiesta Bowl.

“That’s past my bedtime,” Harbaugh laughed. pic.twitter.com/Csg8T9pHBq

— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) December 30, 2022

“In that spirit, I was going to invite Coach Harbaugh to my hotel room tonight and see if we wanted to open up a bottle of bourbon and reminisce. I don’t know if he will take me up on it,” Sonny said with a laugh.

“It’s way past my bedtime,” a chuckling Harbaugh replied.

Whether it’s Harbaugh or Dykes, at least one of them is going to need a strong drink come Saturday evening.