Jim Harbaugh confirms his brother being a Super Bowl champion impacted his decision to coach Chargers

Jim Harbaugh just revealed a big reason he became the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers after winning a national title with the Michigan Wolverines. While appearing on Pardon My Take, Harbaugh was asked if his brother, John Harbaugh, winning a Super Bowl impacted his decision to return to the NFL.

“People would automatically think that. I think it’s been said, and yeah that’s part of it,” Jim Harbaugh said. “I’m not denying that. …It’s so good here.”

John Harbaugh won a Super Bowl as head coach of the Baltimore Ravens in 2012. His team defeated the San Francisco 49ers, a team that was coached by Jim Harbaugh. After the Super Bowl, Jim Harbaugh coached the 49ers for two more seasons before joining Michigan. In his nine seasons with the Wolverines, Harbaugh led the team to three consecutive Big Ten titles to go along with the national championship.

Harbaugh is known for what he’s done in college as a head coach. But he had a lot of success in his four seasons with the 49ers, winning 44 games and appearing in three consecutive NFC Championship games.

Jim Harbaugh says joining Chargers ‘feels like home’

“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 news release after being hired by the Chargers in January. “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.”

Harbaugh is looking to build the Chargers into a Super Bowl contender. The franchise has not played in the championship game since the 1994 season and have made the playoffs just nine times in 30 years. In 2023, the Chargers finished the season with a 5-12 record, and head coach Brandon Staley was fired before the season came to an end.