Jim Harbaugh explains leaving Michigan for LA Chargers: 'There's no Lombardi Trophy in college football'

Jim Harbaugh left Michigan on the back of a national championship season. Returning to the NFL with the Los Angeles Chargers, Harbaugh now has a chance to compete for a Super Bowl title too.

While speaking to CBS ahead of the AFC Championship Game, Harbaugh emphasized how special the Lombardi Trophy is, in particular, to him.

“It was tough,” Jim Harbaugh said. “I was torn. My wife, my kids, I love Michigan, but I love the NFL too. There’s no Lombardi Trophy in college football.”

“I love Michigan, but I love the NFL too. There’s no Lombardi Trophy in college football.” – Jim Harbaugh on leaving Michigan for the @Chargers pic.twitter.com/Gbc9U1ysvq

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 28, 2024

This is going to be Jim Harbaugh’s second stint as a head coach in the NFL. The first stint he spent was with the San Francisco 49ers and he made a Super Bowl during that time, falling short in the Super Bowl to his brother John Harbaugh. He also played more than a decade in the NFL without winning a Super Bowl.

“And I’ve only got so many sands left in the hourglass and I want to take a crack at that and there’s nowhere better to do it than with the Los Angles Chargers. Susie Spanos, Dean Spanos, Ed McGuire, and this great quarterback [Justin Herbert].”

A huge part of why fans think that Jim Harbaugh has a chance to win a Super Bowl comes down to Justin Herbert. A young star in the NFL, Herbert is something that most teams looking for a new head coach don’t generally have, a franchise quarterback.

For now, though, Jim Harbaugh is supporting his brother and the Ravens in the AFC Championship Game. It’s in their nature to support one another and even though the two will be competing next season, John is happy his brother has another NFL opportunity.

“My thoughts are, we play them next year,” John Harbaugh said. “We’re looking forward to all of it. I’m just very happy for him. Proud of him, excited for him, excited for his family. … I’ll say this, the Chargers just got themselves one great coach.”

Jim Harbaugh admits being ‘starstruck’ during first meeting with Justin Herbert

Justin Herbert is one of the NFL’s great players and Jim Harbaugh admitted that he was even starstruck when he got to meet him.

“I met him [Herbert] and Derwin James, I mean pros pros these guys, Keenan Allen — but I was a little starstruck meeting Justin,” Harbaugh said.

At just 25 years old, Justin Herbert is considered one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. He’s coming off a season that was shortened due to an injury.