Jim Harbaugh agrees to terms as coach of NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers

LOS ANGELES — Jim Harbaugh, who led Michigan’s undefeated college football team to a national title earlier this month, has agreed to terms to become the next coach of the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers, the team announced Wednesday.

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Chargers confirm Harbaugh’s hiring

Update 10:40 p.m. EST Jan. 23: The Los Angeles Chargers confirmed in a statement that have agreed to terms with Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we got him,” the team wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“Jim Harbaugh is football personified, and I can think of no one better to lead the Chargers forward,” Chargers owner Dean Spanos said in a statement. “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?”

“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.

“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.”

Original report: The Los Angeles Times, citing an unnamed source who was “not authorized to speak publicly,” on Wednesday said that Harbaugh, 60, would leave Michigan and return to the NFL.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter, also citing unnamed sources, said that Harbaugh was the choice to be the franchise’s 18th head coach.

The Chargers have not commented about Harbaugh’s status, MLive.com reported. Harbaugh, who interviewed twice with the Chargers and once with the Atlanta Falcons, has not commented.

The Chargers have won only two playoff games over the last 15 years, according to the Times. They appeared in Super Bowl XXIX after the 1994 season but lost to the San Francisco 49ers, 49-26.

The Chargers fired coach Brandon Staley after a 5-9 start last season, and interim coach Giff Smith went 0-3. Staley was fired after the Chargers dropped a 63-21 game to the Las Vegas Raiders on Dec. 14.

Harbaugh previously coached in the NFL from 2011 to 2014, leading the 49ers to a 44-19-1 record and three consecutive NFC Championship Games, the Times reported.

San Francisco reached Super Bowl XLVII after the 2012 season, where he lost to his brother, Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh, 34-31.

As a college coach, Harbaugh has a 118-46 record at the Division I level, including an 89-25 mark at Michigan from 2015 to 2023, according to Sports-Reference.com. He won three Big Ten championships and Michigan’s first national title since 1997, according to ESPN.

Harbaugh had a 29-21 record at Stanford from 2007 to 2010.

Harbaugh was suspended twice during the 2023 college football season.

He sat out three games to begin the season after university officials imposed the benching following an NCAA investigation into alleged recruiting violations during the COVID-19 pandemic dead period, ESPN reported. He was suspended for the final three regular-season games by the Big Ten after Michigan became the subject of another NCAA probe, a sign-stealing scheme, according to the cable sports network.

Harbaugh finished his playing career with the Chargers, appearing in a combined 21 games in the 1999 and 2000 seasons.

As a player, Harbaugh was a quarterback who was chosen as the Chicago Bears’ No. 1 pick (and 26th overall) in the 1987 NFL draft, according to Pro-Football-Reference.com.

He played seven seasons with the Bears, and then played four seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and his final season (2000) with the Baltimore Ravens.

Harbaugh’s best season was in 1995, when he was selected to the Pro Bowl and led the Colts to the AFC Championship Game, where Indianapolis nearly pulled off an upset on the final play of the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

During his career, Harbaugh threw for 26,288 yards and 129 touchdowns, according to Pro-Football-Reference.com.

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