Jim Harbaugh after accepting Los Angeles Chargers head coaching job: 'I'll always be a loyal Wolverine'
Jim Harbaugh has officially left Michigan Wolverines football after nine seasons, now named the new head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. Harbaugh was an All-American quarterback for the Wolverines in the 1980s, and his father, Jack Harbaugh, coached at Michigan in the 1970s. He’s spent nearly 20 years in Ann Arbor and is now bound for Los Angeles to work for the organization for which he played from 1999-2000 (in San Diego).
Harbaugh released a statement as part of the Chargers’ official press release upon his hiring.
“My love for Michigan, playing there and coming back to coach there, leaves a lasting impact. I’ll always be a loyal Wolverine,” the former Michigan coach said.
“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.”
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Harbaugh went 89-25 at Michigan, winning three Big Ten championships and the 2023 national title, the program’s 12th-ever in history. He joined the Wolverines after four years as the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, with which he won 49 games. He previously coached at Stanford (2007-10) and the University of San Diego (2004-06). The former Michigan coach spent 15 years as an NFL quarterback.
Chargers chairman of the board Dean Spanos released a statement, as well.
“Jim Harbaugh is football personified, and I can think of no one better to lead the Chargers forward,” Spanos said. “The son of a coach, brother of a coach and father of a coach who himself was coached by names like [Bo] Schembechler and [Mike] 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,” Chargers president of football operations John Spanos said. “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.”
