Jim Harbaugh is returning to the NFL.
Harbaugh, 60, will leave Michigan State after accepting a job with the Chargers and leading the program to a national championship this year, the NFL team announced Wednesday night.
Harbaugh's contract with the Chargers According to NFL insider Adam Schefter,It's been 5 years.
The hire ends a whirlwind of speculation surrounding the coveted coach, who was weighing his options between a job opportunity in the NFL and returning to coach the Michigan Wolverines.
But in the end, Harbaugh opted to try again on an NFL sideline for the first time since his four-year reign with the 49ers, which ended in 2014, and the Chargers replaced the vacated head with someone they clearly wanted. succeeded in acquiring it. -Coaching jobs.
“Jim Harbaugh is the embodiment of football, and I can't think of a better person to lead the Chargers moving forward,” team owner Dean Spanos said. told the team's website.
Los Angeles interviewed a league-high 15 candidates after firing Brandon Staley, but Harbaugh was the team's top choice from the beginning.
Harbaugh will take over a team that struggled under Staley, who was fired after a 63-21 loss to the Raiders on Dec. 14, but Justin Herbert has already been installed as the franchise quarterback.
This time, they've added a head coach who has won in nearly every place he's been, and hired the most experienced head coach in the organization since Norv Turner in 2007.
The hire also sets up a brother-on-brother matchup next season, with John Harbaugh's Ravens facing Jim Harbaugh's Chargers at SoFi Stadium. The two famously faced off in Super Bowl 47 after the 2012 season, when Jim's 49ers lost to John's Ravens, 34-31.
Harbaugh, one of the top coaching candidates on the market, arrives in Los Angeles after nine years in Ann Arbor, where he led the Wolverines to three Big Ten titles and this month won the program's first national championship since 1997. .
“My love for Michigan State, having played there and returned as a coach there, has left a lasting impact. I will always be a loyal Wolverine,” according to Chargers.com. I'll keep going,'' Harbaugh said. “This organization is investing capital, building infrastructure, and doing everything we can to win. Great effort leads to great results, and we're just getting started.”
At Michigan, he went 89-25 and played in eight bowl games, but the 2023 season was at times marred by a sign-stealing scandal involving a former football staffer, and the Big Ten suspended Harbaugh for three games.
He had similar success in his four seasons coaching the 49ers, with a 44-19-1 record under his guidance, three consecutive appearances in the NFC Championship Game, and one win.
Harbaugh had two interviews with the Chargers, but there were conflicting reports Wednesday about whether he was still in Los Angeles before news of the hire broke.
NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported Tuesday that the Chargers are “within striking distance” of a deal with Harbaugh.
Harbaugh also met with the Falcons, but the coach has been linked to the Chargers since the offseason began.
He dodged even the most basic questions about the Chargers, where he quarterbacked from 1999 to 2000, in the lead-up to the Rose Bowl, and the questions continued as the Wolverines made their way through the College Football Playoff.
Now that Harbaugh has been added, Chargers owners will need to turn their focus to the vacant general manager position. Giants assistant GM Brandon Brown was in Los Angeles on Wednesday for his second interview.
Michigan State will have to work hard to replace Harbaugh, following his efforts to restore the Wolverines as one of the nation's top football programs.
According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, Wolverines offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore has been floated as a possible replacement. Lance Leipold, Chris Klieman and Dave Clawson are also reportedly being considered.
According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, Wolverines offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore has been floated as a possible replacement. Lance Leipold, Chris Klieman and Dave Clawson are also reportedly being considered.
Harbaugh has pursued other NFL opportunities in the past, including playing against the Vikings and Broncos after last season.
