Harbaugh, who won a national championship with Michigan, is back in the NFL as a coach for the Chargers.
California’s Costa Mesa (AP) — After leading Michigan to its first national championship since 1997, Jim Harbaugh concluded his ninth season as the head coach of the most successful college football program when he was hired by the Los Angeles Chargers on Wednesday.
An individual with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press that Harbaugh inked a five-year contract. The individual spoke to the AP under the condition of staying anonymous because the terms were kept a secret by the Chargers.
After a second interview, Harbaugh made the much-awaited decision to return to the NFL and continue his pursuit of the Super Bowl, which had eluded him during his time as a coach and quarterback.
As the head coach, he will be the first former player from the Chargers to rejoin the team. He was a member of the Bolts from 1999 to 2000, and after the 2001 season, he retired.
“My passion for Michigan endures, as does my playing and subsequent return to coach there. I will always be a devoted Michigan fan, Harbaugh declared in a statement. “I consider myself extremely fortunate to have been given the opportunity to coach in settings where my life’s journey has forged meaningful personal bonds with me. The Spanos family was the most kind and welcoming to me during my time as a Chargers player.
Coming back here feels like coming home, and it’s wonderful that those characteristics haven’t altered.
After winning a national championship, Harbaugh is the first coach in 26 years to leave the team and not come back the next year. After the 1997 season, Tom Osborne of Nebraska announced his retirement, with the Cornhuskers sharing the national championship with Michigan.
Following the dismissal of Tom Telesco and coach Brandon Staley on December 15, one day following a 63-21 loss to the Raiders in Las Vegas, Los Angeles began searching for a new general manager and coach.
When his team was getting ready for the Rose Bowl, Harbaugh was first questioned about potential interest in the Chargers position. He responded, though. January 15 was his first meeting with the Chargers.
Out of the fifteen coaching candidates who interviewed with the Spanos family, Harbaugh was the eighth. The only person to receive a second interview was him.
Before Harbaugh chose to accept the Chargers offer, the Atlanta Falcons had another interview scheduled with him on January 16.
In a statement, owner Dean Spanos declared, “Jim Harbaugh is football personified, and I can think of no one better to lead the Chargers forward.” Harbaugh also used one of his catchphrases in the statement. “Who is enjoying it more than us?”
The Chargers, after New England, Las Vegas, and Tennessee, are the fourth of eight teams to name a new head coach. There are still openings in Atlanta, Carolina, Seattle, and Washington.
To let him know he was leaving to take the helm of the Chargers, Harbaugh gave Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel a call. A person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press that Michigan attempted to retain Harbaugh by offering him a new six-year contract worth $11.5 million per season. The speaker agreed to remain anonymous since they were
Harbaugh was suspended by the Big Ten for violating the conference’s sportsmanship policy over alleged sign-stealing in a case that dominated the second half of the previous season. Manuel may promote Sherrone Moore to replace him after the offensive coordinator filled in for him during the final three games of the regular season.
Manuel released a statement saying, “We will do everything in our power to keep this current staff and team together while we work quickly to hire the next head coach for the program.” “We are grateful for Jim’s commitment and enthusiasm towards Michigan, the university, and Ann Arbor. I hope the Los Angeles Chargers bring great success to Jim and his family.”
At Michigan, where he was 86-25, Harbaugh brought the winningest college football program back to prominence after it had declined over a number of seasons.
After suffering two straight losses in the College Football Playoff semifinals, Michigan defeated Alabama at the Rose Bowl and overcame Washington to win the national championship with a school-record 15-0 record, bringing Harbaugh’s bowl game winless streak to six.
The one thing Harbaugh truly wants—a Super Bowl championship—was not something his alma mater could provide.
Although they finished 5-12 this season and have lost eight of their last nine games, including the last five, the Chargers do have one of the best quarterbacks in the league in Justin Herbert. In five seasons, Herbert will be under the tutelage of his fourth head coach and potentially his fourth offensive coordinator.
However, the Bolts have only qualified for three playoffs since 2013 and haven’t taken home a division championship since 2009.
Above all, Harbaugh will inherit a team that requires a culture shift. This season, they tied the 1984 Houston Oilers for the worst record since the merger at 0-7 in games decided by three points or fewer.
Due to injuries on the offensive line and at wide receiver this past season, the offense regressed. Even though Herbert was in charge, Los Angeles was ranked 18th in total offense after finishing in the top 11 for six consecutive years, despite the fact that he broke his right index finger and missed the last four games.
The defense was ranked 28th, which was the first time since 1986 that it had three consecutive years of being ranked 20th or lower.
In the April draft, Harbaugh and the newly appointed general manager will select fifth overall, giving the Chargers a pick in the top seven for the fourth time since 2016. Prior to the start of, Los Angeles will also relocate to a new year-round headquarters in El Segundo.
