The Los Angeles Chargers are nearing a deal to rent Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh as their subsequent head coach, a supply tells CBS Sports activities.
Harbaugh has lengthy been the highest goal for the Chargers, and the coach has been trying to leap again to the NFL ranks the final a number of years. Profitable the nationwide championship at Michigan, his alma mater, was essential for Harbaugh to comfortably depart for the NFL.
Harbaugh, 60, has received all over the place he has coached. He went 29-6 on the College of San Diego earlier than turning Stanford round after simply three years. In simply 4 years with the San Francisco 49ers, he went to 3 NFC championship video games and narrowly misplaced Super Bowl XLVII. The final 9 years he is helmed Michigan, and within the final three years he is gone undefeated in opposition to Ohio State and made it to 3 College Football Playoffs. Now Michigan will look to fill his footwear, which will not be straightforward.
Harbaugh initially interviewed with the Chargers on Jan. 15, and there was at all times a powerful need to make it to a second interview. That befell Tuesday on the staff services. Harbaugh is anticipated to deliver Jesse Minter, the Michigan defensive coordinator, with him to L.A, based on sources.
The Chargers search committee consisted of staff proprietor Dean Spanos, president of soccer operations John Spanos, president of enterprise operations A.G. Spanos, EVP and chief working officer Jeanne Bonk, chief of workers and counselor Fred Maas, VP of cultural packages and growth James Collins, chief administrative officer Catherine Iste and EVP of soccer administration/participant finance Ed McGuire.
Harbaugh flirted with a return to the league every of the final two years. He interviewed twice for the Vikings job following the 2021 season. Final yr, he and the Denver Broncos had sturdy mutual curiosity, based on a number of sources, however in the end the 2 sides didn’t get a deal achieved. One supply mentioned Harbaugh opted in opposition to additional pursuing the Broncos final yr when he decided he had an excellent likelihood to win the nationwide title at Michigan within the 2023 season.
CBS Sports activities beforehand reported Panthers proprietor David Tepper had a dialog with Harbaugh after the coach — or somebody on his behalf — known as Carolina a number of occasions throughout final yr’s teaching cycle. The Panthers by no means formally interviewed Harbaugh in both of their two teaching searches.
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Harbaugh did meet in individual with Falcons proprietor Arthur Clean on Jan. 16 for an preliminary interview. He and the staff had tentatively arrange one other in-person interview for later this week, however that clearly will not happen. Atlanta and former Patriots head coach Invoice Belichick stay linked because the Falcons proceed their head-coaching search with extra scheduled in-person interviews this week.
The Chargers interviewed 15 coaches for his or her vacant place, however Harbaugh was at all times the main candidate as long as he was prepared to leap again to the NFL. L.A. interviewed many of the candidates just about, nevertheless it did herald former Payments defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier and former Stanford head coach David Shaw for in-person interviews final week.
These two exterior interviews with candidates with a various background fulfilled the league’s Rooney Rule, and it allowed the Chargers to maneuver ahead with the Harbaugh rent without having to usher in one other coach in individual.
The hiring of Harbaugh is a splash rent for a Chargers franchise in want of contemporary management. Since 2010, the Chargers have gone to the playoffs thrice and received simply two postseason video games.
The Chargers fired Brandon Staley after two-plus years with the staff. Staley, a former defensive coordinator and fast-riser within the professional teaching ranks, compiled a 24-24 document however failed to provide a playoff victory. L.A.’s 27-point wild-card collapse final yr in opposition to the Jaguars put Staley on discover for the 2023 season, and his 63-21 defeat in opposition to the Raiders in Week 15 sealed his destiny.
Harbaugh is tasked with maximizing Justin Herbert because the quarterback enters his early prime. The Chargers have not received the AFC West since 2009, and so they’ll face a Kansas Metropolis staff twice a yr that has dominated each the division and the convention.
The Chargers now want to rent a common supervisor after firing long-time GM Tom Telesco in Week 15. The staff ran its seek for a head coach and GM concurrently, and L.A. interviewed 9 GM candidates. A majority of the candidates had some degree of non-public familiarity with Harbaugh or his agent, Don Yee.
However till Wednesday, the Chargers had interviewed only one candidate in individual. Daybreak Aponte, the NFL’s chief administrative officer, met with the staff Monday for an interview that went unreported till the day of the assembly and two weeks after the conclusion of the common season. In accordance with a supply, they introduced in Giants assistant GM Brandon Brown for a second interview Wednesday, a day after their second assembly with Harbaugh.
It will not be shocking if the Chargers moved rapidly to rent a GM to pair with Harbaugh. It is unclear whether or not Harbaugh would have full authority over personnel issues, and sources beforehand indicated that wasn’t essentially a sticking level with Harbaugh throughout conversations.
In the meantime, at Michigan, Sherrone Moore has been presumed to be the following head coach. He led the Wolverines to a 4-0 document with Harbaugh serving a number of suspensions, together with a three-game suspension associated to the in-person scouting scandal that rocked the college football world. Moore has spent the final a number of weeks getting ready his personal workers in anticipation of Harbaugh’s departure, sources say.
