As the University of Michigan’s athletic year concludes, it won’t be remembered as the most successful. But viewed through the prism of history, the year may appear a pivot point for the athletic department. With a first-year football coach in Jim Harbaugh, a new athletic director in Warde Manuel, the official signing of the Nike contract, plus a few teams (men’s cross-country, women’s golf, women’s water polo, women’s tennis) having their most success in years, it could be the start of a more prosperous era overall. Here are 10 of the signature stories from the year:

10. Coaching ’em up

Entering last season, few of Michigan’s football players were considered elite. The Wolverines had one All-Big Ten first-team player in 2014. Yet by 2015’s end, their talent looked completely different with four All-Big Ten first teamers. Quarterback Jake Rudock transferred in after being demoted to second-string at Iowa and threw for the second-most single-season yards by a U-M quarterback in history. The whole roster looked like that. Defensive tackle Willie Henry, center Graham Glasgow and Rudock were all unlikely NFL prospects entering the year and all got drafted.

9. March madness

The Wolverines had only two notable wins all season — over Maryland and Purdue, both at home — but on the outside of the NCAA tournament, they made a late heart-stopping run. At the Big Ten tournament, they beat Northwestern in overtime, then upset No. 1 seed Indiana to get into the First Four of the NCAAs. There Irvin hit another late shot to beat Tulsa in Dayton and the Wolverines pushed Notre Dame, holding a 12-point halftime lead, in the NCAA first round before falling.

8. Back to the WCWS

The Michigan softball team had one of its best regular seasons in program history, reaching the No. 1 ranking for a week in April and sitting at No. 2 for most of the season. The Wolverines ran away with their ninth straight Big Ten regular season title and outscored their opponents 196-48 in the process. U-M swept the regional to advance to the WCWS, where they lost two of their first three games.

7. CCM line

The combination of left wing Kyle Connor, center JT Compher and right wing Tyler Motte became a dominant force once unified on Dec. 4. In the next 27 games, they accounted for 51.5% of U-M’s goals. The three ended the season as the top three players in NCAA scoring average, led by freshman sensation Connor at 1.87 points per game and all three were among the 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award. The trio led the Wolverines to a Big Ten tournament title and the Midwest Regional final. Though all had eligibility remaining, all left for professional hockey after the season.

6. High Sierra

Michigan senior second baseman Sierra Romero capped her career as the most decorated player in program history, sweeping the major player of the year honors. She ended her career as the NCAA leader in runs (302) and grand slams (11), the only Division I player with 300 runs, 300 hits and 300 RBI. And she went out with a bang, finishing third nationally in runs (1.29 per game) and RBI (1.32), hitting .451 with 19 home runs and 79 RBI with a .577 on-base percentage and a .883 slugging percentage

5. Big February

Opening the month with a top-five recruiting class, including the nation’s No. 1 player, Rashan Gary, would have been enough. But Harbaugh insisted on making it a spectacle, renting out Hill Auditorium for the “Signing of the Stars” event, essentially a 21/2 hour talk show with celebrities (Tom Brady, Derek Jeter, Ric Flair, etc.) on hand, live-streamed on The Players’ Tribune website. Minutes after it was over, Harbaugh was on to his next event, confirming that U-M would open spring practice with a week in Bradenton, Fla.

4. Hoops’ hurt

Caris LeVert and Spike Albrecht were part of the most successful U-M basketball recruiting class of the past 20 years, helping U-M reach the NCAA championship game and the Elite Eight in their first two seasons. But they ended their Michigan careers with a whimper. Albrecht tried to play after two summer hip surgeries but shut down his season in early December. LeVert was playing his best ball when he injured his foot for the third time in his career on Dec. 30. After that he tried to rehab but ended up only playing one half of one game the rest of his senior year. Albrecht’s ending wasn’t much better. Told he didn’t have a spot for next year as a fifth-year player at U-M, he transferred to Purdue and three other Wolverines also left the program.

3. A new AD

Hackett announced his departure after more than two years as the interim AD. After a search lasting more than a month, Manuel was introduced in January as the replacement. The former U-M football player and administrator arrived from Connecticut with a resume more impressive than any athletic director in program history.

2. Football on the rise

Coming off a 5-7 season and with Harbaugh, there were uncertain expectations for the first year with a new staff. But the Wolverines had a chance to win in the fourth quarter of each of the first 11 games and won nine of them. U-M finished the season 10-3 with the best game coming in the Citrus Bowl, pounding SEC East Champion Florida, 41-7.

1. Hit the road, Jim!

After last summer’s 10-day satellite camp tour made inroads with prospects and in new territories, the Atlantic Coast Conference and Southeastern Conference proposed bans for the camp rule. The ACC proposal passed April 8 by the Division I Council and chaos ensued, with Harbaugh as the main target. After three weeks of public bickering ended with the ban being rescinded on April 28, it opened the door for Harbaugh and his staff assisting at more than 30 camps in June. He spoke after nearly every one he attended and wore a jersey of a different local sports hero.

Contact Mark Snyder: msnyder@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mark__snyder.

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