Jim Harbaugh will leave Michigan and make the jump back to the NFL. The Los Angeles Chargers announced on Wednesday that Harbaugh has agreed to terms to become their next head coach.
Will Harbaugh be as successful the second time around? Harbaugh left his alma mater, Michigan, where he compiled an 86-25 record and led the Wolverines to their first national championship since 1997, to return to the NFL coaching ranks.
Harbaugh was the coach of the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2014, when he led the 49ers to three consecutive NFC championship appearances and a berth in Super Bowl XLVII in his first three seasons.
Harbaugh played his final two NFL seasons as a player with the Chargers from 1999 to 2000. He is trying to become the fourth coach to win a college football national championship and a Super Bowl in the NFL, an exclusive list that includes Barry Switzer, Jimmy Johnson and Pete Carroll.
The question now is whether Harbaugh can replicate the success he had in San Francisco in those four seasons with the Chargers, who bottomed out with a 5-12 record in 2023.
What is Jim Harbaugh’s NFL record?
Harbaugh had a 44-19-1 record with the 49ers between 2011 and 2014. That’s a .695 winning percentage. The only coaches with at least four years of experience and a higher winning percentage are Guy Chamberlain (.784), John Madden (.759), Vince Lombardi (.738) and George Allen (.712).
Will the long NFL break change that? It’s a legitimate question knowing that it’s been almost a decade.
Harbaugh’s teams in San Francisco ranked in the top 10 in scoring defense all four seasons and in the top three from 2011 to 2013. The 49ers averaged 17.4 points per game allowed over those four seasons.
The offense averaged 23.2 points per game over that same stretch with a run-heavy philosophy. San Francisco ranked no lower than eighth in rushing yards under Harbaugh.
What does that mean for the Chargers’ franchise quarterback? That’s another important question that will determine whether Harbaugh’s return works.
How will Jim Harbaugh help Justin Herbert?
There is no doubt that Harbaugh benefited Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick in their developments between 2011 and 2014.
In two seasons under Harbaugh, Smith had a 64.3 percent completion percentage with 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He had a 57.1 percent completion percentage with 51 touchdowns and 53 interceptions before Harbaugh’s arrival. Kaepernick emerged as a star for Harbaugh from 2012 to 2014 as a dual-threat quarterback.
Smith and Kaepernick combined to average 3,316 passing yards, 20 TDs and eight per season under Harbaugh.
| YEAR | Quarterback | YARDS | % | SDT | ENTS |
| 2011 | Alex Smith | 3,144 | 61.3 | 17 | 5 |
| 2012 | Alex Smith | 1,737 | 70.2 | 13 | 5 |
| 2012 | Colin Kaepernick | 1,814 | 62.4 | 10 | 3 |
| 2013 | Colin Kaepernick | 3,197 | 58.4 | twenty-one | 8 |
| 2014 | Colin Kaepernick | 3,369 | 60.5 | 19 | 10 |
Herbert has averaged 4,306 yards, 29 TDs and 10.5 interceptions over the last four years with the Chargers. He is also 30-32 as a starter and has yet to win a playoff game. He is the most talented quarterback Harbaugh has had since he coached Andrew Luck at Stanford.
Where might that have an immediate impact? Look for Harbaugh to take advantage of Herbert’s mobility outside of the pocket, but it will be even more important to simply keep Herbert clean. inside the pocket. According to Pro Football FocusHerbert had 15 TDs and one interception in a clean pocket, and those numbers are as good as any of the game’s elite quarterbacks.
There should also be improvements to the deep aerial attack. Herbert was ineffective on passes of 20 yards or more last season. According to PFF, Herbert completed 20 of 55 passes (or 36.4 percent) for 615 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions last season. Compare that to Michigan’s JJ McCarthy, who went 25-for-46 (54.3 percent) with 10 TDs and an INT for the Wolverines last season. Yes, it’s a big jump from the NFL to college, but Harbaugh’s offense relies on being efficient in the deep passing game.
The offensive coordinator hire will also be a factor, but Harbaugh has a knack for making quarterbacks better, and if Herbert takes a leap, then the Chargers could have one of the best offenses in the NFL.
How can Harbaugh help with that? Add a tight end.
Will Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers take Brock Bowers in the 2024 NFL Draft?
Under Harbaugh, the 49ers selected edge rusher Aldon Smith and Kaepernick in the first two rounds of the 2011 NFL Draft. Smith had 14 sacks as a rookie, and Kaepernick sat behind Alex Smith before taking over the starting job this season. following. The rest of Harbaugh’s first-round picks with the 49ers were hit or miss: WR AJ Jenkins (2012), S Eric Reid (2013) and CB Jimmie Ward (2014).
The Chargers have the No. 5 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. SN’s Vinnie Iyer has Los Angeles selecting Alabama running back Dallas Turner with that pick.
The Chargers have talent at that position. Khalil Mack is coming off a 17-sack season. Next season he will be 33 years old. Joey Bosa will be 29 years old and has played 14 games in the last two seasons due to injuries.
With Harbaugh, that philosophy could change. He keeps an eye on Georgia tight end Brock Bowers at that spot. Vernon Davis averaged 47 receptions, 609 yards and six touchdowns per season with Harbaugh in San Francisco. Bowers would give Herbert a mismatch in the middle of the field, and Harbaugh’s offenses always feature the tight end.
Will Jim Harbaugh, Chargers make playoffs in 2024?
There’s a good chance, but it won’t be easy in Year 1. The AFC West coaching ranks are interesting. Kansas City’s Andy Reid has 258 wins and is closing in on another Super Bowl appearance. Denver’s Sean Payton has 160 career wins, and the Raiders removed the interim tag from locker room favorite Antonio Pierce.
Los Angeles also faces the AFC North and NFC South as part of its schedule in 2024.
How will Harbaugh do in the division and in close games? That is the big question. Los Angeles was 6-12 against AFC West opponents over the past three seasons, with losing records against Kansas City (1-5) and Denver (2-4) and a .500 record against Las Vegas (3- 3).
Brandon Staley also struggled in close games last season. The Chargers were 3-8 in one-score games after compiling a 12-11 record in those situations the previous two seasons.
Harbaugh is expected to improve on that record. Harbaugh was 23-11-1 in one-score games with the 49ers. That could be the biggest difference for a team that is talented enough to return to the postseason next year.
