COSTA MESA, Calif. — Jim Harbaugh was hired as head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers on Wednesday, leaving Michigan after capping his ninth season as coach of college football’s winningest program with the school’s first national championship since 1997.
Harbaugh signed a five-year deal, a person close to the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the Chargers did not announce the terms.
Harbaugh made the highly anticipated decision Wednesday to go back to the NFL after a second interview and resume his chase for a Super Bowl that eluded him as a quarterback and coach.
He will be the first former Chargers player to return to the team as head coach. He played for the Bolts in 1999-2000 before retiring following the 2001 season.
“My love for Michigan, playing there and coming back to coach there leaves a lasting impact. I’ll always be a loyal Wolverine,” Harbaugh said in a statement. “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. 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 Ravens, coached by Jim’s brother John, and Chargers are set to face off in Los Angeles next season.
Addressing reporters last week, John Harbaugh said it’s always tough to face his brother’s teams because the players are prepared.
“His teams are always ready to roll. They always are,” he said. “They’re always well coached. They’re always fundamentally sound. They always play super hard. They’re always connected emotionally. I think he’s the best coach in football. He’s a great coach.”
The Harbaugh brothers last faced off in Super Bowl XLVII, with John and the Ravens beating Jim and the San Francisco 49ers 34-31.
Los Angeles was looking for a new coach and general manager after Brandon Staley and Tom Telesco were fired Dec. 15, a day after a 63-21 loss in Las Vegas to the Raiders.
Jim Harbaugh first met with the Chargers on Jan. 15. He was the eighth of 15 coaching candidates to interview with the Spanos family. He was the only one to get a second interview.
The Atlanta Falcons also talked to Harbaugh on Jan. 16 and had booked a second interview before he decided to accept the Chargers job.
Harbaugh was 86-25 at Michigan and restored college football’s winningest program to relevance after it slipped over several seasons under Brady Hoke and Rich Rodriguez following the retirement of national championship-winning coach Lloyd Carr.
The rival Ohio State Buckeyes had an eight-game winning streak against the Wolverines until Harbaugh helped them snap the streak in 2021, leading to their first of three straight Big Ten titles and College Football Playoff appearances.
Following two straight losses in the semifinals, extending Harbaugh’s winless streak in bowl games to six, Michigan outlasted Alabama at the Rose Bowl and pulled away from Washington to win the national championship with a school-record 15-0 mark.
Michigan tried to keep Harbaugh, offering him a six-year contract for $11.5 million per season, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to share details of the deal.
Harbaugh’s alma mater could not offer the one thing he desperately wants — a Super Bowl title.
The Chargers have one of the league’s top quarterbacks in Justin Herbert but finished 5-12 this season and lost eight of their last nine, including the last five. Herbert will be playing for his fourth head coach and possibly fourth offensive coordinator in five seasons.
This is the first time since 2007, when Norv Turner succeeded Marty Schottenheimer, that the Chargers have gone with someone with previous head coaching experience. Turner directed the team to three straight postseason appearances, including the AFC championship game during the 2007 season.
The Chargers have not won a division title since 2009, which was also under Turner.
Harbaugh will inherit a team that most of all needs a culture change. The Chargers were 0-7 in games decided by three points or fewer, tying the 1984 Houston Oilers for worst mark since the merger.
The offense regressed because of injuries at wide receiver and on the offensive line. Herbert broke the index finger on his right hand and missed the last four games, but even when he was at the helm, Los Angeles was ranked 18th in total offense after six straight years being in the top 11.
The defense was ranked 28th, marking the first time since 1986 it has been ranked 20th or worse three straight years.
Harbaugh and the new general manager will have the fifth overall pick in April’s draft, the fourth time since 2016 the Chargers have had a pick in the top seven. Only the Giants (six), Jets (five) and Jaguars (five) have had more.
Harbaugh prepared for a return to the NFL by hiring Don Yee as his agent. Yee is known for his representation of another famous Michigan quarterback — seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Tom Brady — and the California-based agent also represents Denver coach Sean Payton, who was the most sought-after coaching free agent last year.
Harbaugh did not hide his interest in returning to the NFL, interviewing with the Minnesota Vikings on college signing day two years ago and having discussions with the Broncos and Carolina Panthers last year.
The 60-year-old Harbaugh seemed to have more options in the league during this hiring cycle.
Harbaugh returned to Michigan, where he was a star quarterback in the mid-1980s, in 2015 after going 44-19 over four years in San Francisco. He left the 49ers amid tension with the front office. He went to three straight NFC championship games and lost the Super Bowl 11 years ago.
He also came close to the Super Bowl as a player, nearly lifting the Indianapolis Colts to a win at Pittsburgh on a game-ending desperation pass in the AFC championship game on Jan. 14, 1996.
Harbaugh became a first-time head coach at the University of San Diego in 2004 and left after three seasons to start a four-year run at Stanford. His success on the sideline in college set him up for an opportunity with the 49ers, where he coached from 2010 through the 2014 season.
And, after even more success, he’s back in the league to chase a championship.
Potential problems with the NCAA may have been a factor. He was suspended for the first three games by the NCAA for a Level I violation because the association concluded he misled investigators.
Harbaugh was also suspended for the final three regular-season games by the Big Ten for violating the conference’s sportsmanship policy over alleged sign stealing in a case that dominated the second half of last season.
Harbaugh was one of eight candidates who had previous head coaching experience in college or the NFL. The others were former Stanford coach David Shaw, former Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator and Minnesota coach Leslie Frazier, former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel, Dallas defensive coordinator and former Atlanta coach Dan Quinn, Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris (who coached Tampa Bay and Atlanta), San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks (who coached Arizona and Carolina) and Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken.
The Chargers also interviewed two in-house candidates — interim coach Giff Smith and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore — along with Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, Baltimore defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan, who was hired by Tennessee on Jan. 23.
Baltimore Banner editor Brandon Weigel contributed to this report.
This report was updated with the Chargers announcing their new coach.
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