Jim Harbaugh leaving Michigan to become LA Chargers head coach
Jim Harbaugh is leaving the University of Michigan to accept the head coaching vacancy with the Los Angeles Chargers, the team announced on Wednesday.
The 60-year-old will make his return to the NFL after a nine-year stint with his alma mater where he went 89-25, culminating earlier this month with the school’s first national championship since 1997.
Before that, he went 44-19-1 in four seasons as San Francisco’s head coach and took the 49ers to the Super Bowl after the 2012 season. He also had winning records at Stanford and the University of San Diego.
Harbaugh has a prior relationship with the Chargers and the Spanos family that owns the team. He played quarterback for the Bolts from 1999-2000.
The Chargers were looking for a coach and general manager after Brandon Staley and Tom Telesco were fired on 15 December, a day after a 63-21 loss at Las Vegas.
“You don’t build a resume like Jim’s by accident, and you don’t do it by yourself,” Chargers president of football operations John Spanos said in a statement. “You need a team. And nobody has built a team more successfully, and repeatedly, in recent history than Jim Harbaugh. His former players swear by him, and his opponents swear at him. Jim is one of one, and we couldn’t be more excited to have him back in the Chargers organization as our head coach.”
The Wolverines beat Washington 34-13 in the College Football Playoff title game on 8 January.
Harbaugh has not hidden his interest in a possible return to the NFL. His brother, John, is the longtime coach of the Baltimore Ravens, who beat Jim Harbaugh’s 49ers in the Super Bowl after the 2012 season.
Harbaugh interviewed with the Minnesota Vikings two years ago and had discussions with the Broncos and Carolina Panthers last year.