The Los Angeles Chargers today agreed to terms with Jim Harbaugh as head coach. A former quarterback for the Chargers during the 1999 and 2000 seasons, Harbaugh spent the past nine years at his alma mater as head football coach for the University of Michigan. Harbaugh rejoins the Chargers after having led Michigan to three consecutive Big Ten Championships, three straight appearances in the College Football Playoff and a perfect 15-0 record this past season that saw the Wolverines crowned 2023 National Champions.
“Jim Harbaugh is football personified, and I can think of no one better to lead the Chargers forward,” said Owner and Chairman of the Board Dean Spanos. “The son of a coach, brother of a coach and father of a coach who himself was coached by names like Schembechler and Ditka, for the past two decades Jim has led hundreds of men to success everywhere he’s been — as their coach. And today, Jim Harbaugh returns to the Chargers, this time as our coach. Who has it better than us?”
“You don’t build a resume like Jim’s by accident, and you don’t do it by yourself,” said President of Football Operations John Spanos. “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.”
Harbaugh brings with him a winning culture, posting a 144-52 record as a collegiate head coach and a 49-22-1 record as an NFL head coach. In four years, he led the San Francisco 49ers to three-straight NFC Championship Games, including an appearance in Super Bowl XLVII.
“My love for Michigan, playing there and coming back to coach there, leaves a lasting impact. I’ll always be a loyal Wolverine,” said Harbaugh. “I’m remarkably fortunate to have been afforded the privilege of coaching at places where life’s journey has created strong personal connections for me. From working as an assistant coach at Western Kentucky alongside my father, Jack, and time as an assistant with the Raiders, to being a head coach at USD, Stanford, the 49ers and Michigan — each of those opportunities carried significance, each felt personal. When I played for the Chargers, the Spanos family could not have been more gracious or more welcoming. Being back here feels like home, and it’s great to see that those things haven’t changed.
“The only job you start at the top is digging a hole, so we know we’ve got to earn our way. Be better today than yesterday. Be better tomorrow than today. My priorities are faith, family and football, and we are going to attack each with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind. This organization is putting in the work — investing capital, building infrastructure and doing everything within its power to win. Great effort equals great results, and we’re just getting started.”
One of the most accomplished coaches in football, Harbaugh led Michigan to an 86-25 record in his nine seasons as head coach. His teams topped 10 wins six times and made three consecutive CFP appearances from 2021-23, winning the national title this past season and setting a school record with 15 wins. Since taking over as head coach for the Wolverines in 2015, Harbaugh coached the top defense in the nation, allowing just 291.0 yards per game in that span. Michigan had a top-five defense in the country five times over those nine seasons, including twice as the top-ranked defense in the nation.