What does the hiring of Jim Harbaugh mean for the Los Angeles Chargers as a franchise?

Jim Harbaugh Michigan pic
Jim Harbaugh Michigan pic

At 5-12, the Los Angeles Chargers struggled in the 2023 regular season. Brandon Staley was fired mid-season and the team has been looking for a new head coach. Top candidates around the league had been interviewing with Los Angeles. However, they have found their guy and announced the signing yesterday. After leading Michigan to a National Championship in 2023, he’s been hired by the Chargers to be their next head coach. 

Former Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh was one of the most coveted head coaches this offseason. He built a brand of consistency with the Wolverines and there had always been rumors about Harbaugh leaving. This was his perfect opportunity to get back into the NFL as a head coach. Los Angeles was lucky enough to be the team to sign the National Championship head coach. A massive boost to the Chargers’ franchise.

Jim Harbaugh has been hired by the Chargers to make Los Angeles a winning football team again


Since the 2013 season, Los Angeles has only made the playoffs three times. They lost all of those matchups. In his short time as an NFL head coach, Jim Harbaugh made the playoffs in three of his four seasons with the 49ers. The 60-year-old went 44-19-1 in the regular season with San Francisco. Additionally, Harbaugh was 8-5 in the playoffs and a trip to the Super Bowl that he unfortunately lost. Ironically, it was against his brother John Harbaugh, and the Ravens.

For the last nine seasons, Jim Harbaugh was the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines. He took over a program that was struggling to find consistency. In his first year as head coach, Michigan went 10-3. His time in Ann Arbor came to a storybook ending by going 15-0 in 2023 and winning the National title. Now, Harbaugh is tasked with taking over a franchise that has to be rebuilt back into a winning team. Just how quickly can Harbaugh make the Chargers a contender in the AFC?


Last season, the Chargers finished with a 5-12 record. Eight of their losses were one-score games. If a few of those games go their way, maybe 2023 wasn’t so bad. However, that was not the case. Justin Herbert injured his throwing hand and missed the last five games of the season. Los Angeles lost all five of those contests. Changes are going to be made to the coaching staff and roster now that Jim Harbaugh is the head coach. He’s been successful everywhere he’s been and the Chargers are not going to mess with how he runs things. This team desperately needs to be rebuilt and they hope Harbaugh is the right man for the job.

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