The Chargers will head into the offseason head coach hiring cycle for the first time since 2021. Unlike that year, they will also be looking for a new general manager to take control of the franchises’ football operations for the first time since 2013. With Tom Telesco and Brandon Staley out, the Chargers have to nail their next hires.
First in our offseason coaching search series is Michigan HC Jim Harbaugh. There’s been a lot of recent smoke around the Chargers being interested in Harbaugh’s return to the NFL. Bleacher Report insider Jordan Schultz said that the Chargers have interest. Harbaugh also shot to the top of BetOnline.ag’s odds for the next Chargers’ head coach at +200 on Thursday.
Harbaugh’s career ascended to NFL heights in 2011 with the Niners after successful, program-defining stops at San Diego and Stanford. At the NFL level, Harbaugh was 49-22-1. After successfully rebuilding Michigan’s football program following his San Francisco stint, he enjoys a 142-52 collegiate head coaching record.
What is motivating Harbaugh to a potential NFL return? NCAA violations, first and foremost. Harbaugh’s Michigan program was hit with several recruiting-related violations by the NCAA and was involved with a sign-stealing scandal that got him suspended for three games this season. A return to the NFL with the right ownership would allow the former San Diego Chargers quarterback to leave college on winning terms while not dealing with potential sanctions.
His current situation is reminiscent of the end of Pete Carroll’s USC tenure in the late 00’s. While several NFL media members say the league will not give Harbaugh “safe harbor” from NCAA charges, history says owners are willing to overlook a lot if it can help their organization. I don’t foresee the Harbaugh situation playing out differently in that regard.
But the question comes down to whether it’s actually time for Harbaugh to jump. He’s flirted with NFL interest for multiple offseasons but has returned to Ann Arbor each time. After an unsuccessful interview with the Vikings for their head coaching vacancy in 2022, Harbaugh said he was done chasing NFL interest. He also reportedly interviewed for the Broncos head coaching vacancy in 2023.
One of two things is true. Perhaps recent NCAA bureaucracy has changed Harbaugh’s mind, and he now wants to move to the pros. Or, as he has previously, Michigan’s head coach is leveraging NFL interest into a college extension. Reportedly, an $11 million AAV extension is waiting for Harbaugh in the offseason.
After going through three first-time head coaches in the Telesco era, Harbaugh’s reputation as a program and football culture builder is what the team needs at this juncture. As high as I am on someone like Lions OC Ben Johnson, he’d be an unknown commodity compared to the former Niners’ coach.
Unlike most coaches trying to make the jump from college to the pros, Harbaugh is a proven NFL winner, as previously mentioned. His run as the head coach of the 49ers ended with three NFC Championship games plus a Super Bowl appearance. Other college coaches have yet to match that production outside of Carroll. Urban Meyer, Chip Kelly, Kliff Kingsbury, Matt Rhule, etc., all failed in different ways after being unable to handle NFL HC responsibilities.
One thing that will be interesting to watch is personnel control. Harbaugh’s time in San Francisco was rather infamously ended after 2014 when the team failed to make the playoffs. Reportedly, tensions and differences with then GM Trent Baalke were too much to overcome. Will Harbaugh want to work under a GM or even a President of Football Operations like John Spanos? Or will he want complete control over personnel in acting as GM? What the Chargers are willing to give up in that regard could prove crucial to the hiring process if they are genuinely interested in him.
If the Chargers want an elite offense, Harbaugh and Lions OC Ben Johnson remain the top candidates. Pairing either of them with Justin Herbert makes sense in having a consistent structure on that side of the ball going forward. At some point, it would be nice for Herbert not to need a new play-caller or system from his time at Oregon almost every year.
Until after the College Football Playoff, Harbaugh’s candidacy remains a hypothetical until he decides on his future at Michigan. If truly available, the Chargers should interview him as part of a candidate cycle that looks much stronger than the 2021 field.
