The Los Angeles Chargers are now firmly in their head coach and general manager searches.
One name hovers over every move they make: Jim Harbaugh.
Harbaugh is fresh off leading Michigan to a national title, and this could be the offseason he returns to the NFL after almost a decade in Ann Arbor. The Chargers are an attractive option.
When assessing what a Harbaugh-Chargers marriage could look like, there are three main components to consider:
1. Is Harbaugh a fit for the Chargers, and vice versa?
2. What is the timeline?
3. What general manager would the Chargers pair with Harbaugh, and how would they establish the power structure?
The fit
Harbaugh’s fit with the Chargers makes sense on many levels.
From the Chargers’ perspective, they should be intrigued by quality candidates with previous head-coaching success in the NFL. As president of football operations John Spanos said last month: “I do think there’s value in previous head coach experience. I think we all recognize that. It helps having been through it before. I don’t think it can be the end-all-be-all with regards to not looking at anyone but experienced coaches. But absolutely, we’ll factor in that that’s an added bonus if someone does have previous head coach experience.”
Harbaugh went 44-19-1 during his four seasons as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2014. He took San Francisco to the Super Bowl in 2012. As The Athletic’s Matt Barrows reported recently, there are those around the league who believe Harbaugh could see similarities between this Chargers team and the 49ers team he inherited.
The Chargers should also be looking for a proven winner. Harbaugh fits that mold. He took over a Stanford team in 2007 that had gone 1-11 the previous season. In Harbaugh’s final season at Stanford, in 2010, he led the Cardinal to a 12-1 finish. Then came his stint in San Francisco. Harbaugh has gone 89-25 in his nine seasons at Michigan, a run he capped with a national title Monday night. The Wolverines went 40-3 over the last three seasons.
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Harbaugh played quarterback in the NFL for 14 seasons. He spent his final two seasons with the Chargers in 1999 and 2000. Offensive continuity for quarterback Justin Herbert should be a priority for the Spanos family in this search. Herbert will likely be learning his fourth offensive system in five NFL seasons this coming offseason. Harbaugh would provide Herbert with that year-over-year system stability. Herbert has only had one offseason so far in his career in which he was not learning a new offense, and that came in 2022 under Joe Lombardi.
Herbert had this to say on offensive continuity earlier this week: “You show up in April and you’ve got a sense of comfort in, hey, we’ve been through this, we know what we’re talking about, let’s expand upon the things we do well, let’s expand upon the things that we know, and here are things that we did last year that maybe we need to change or maybe we need to readdress. I think having that framework of football and of 17 games of film that you can go back and look on, I think that’s really helpful for an offense.”
Justin Herbert deserves to finally enjoy some offensive scheme continuity. (David Butler II / USA Today)
Harbaugh has developed a reputation because of his rather unique leadership style. After having conversations with Chargers players over the final few weeks of the season, I think the locker room is eager for a more demanding approach. Not necessarily a dictator. But any NFL coach must toe the line between having a rapport with players while also holding everyone accountable. The best coaches do both simultaneously. If the Chargers do lean in one direction with this coaching hire, I think the accountability side would be more important.
The players want to win. They are tired of falling short. And I think the players would buy into a coach like Harbaugh who has proven his process leads to results, despite some quirkiness and idiosyncrasies.
From Harbaugh’s standpoint, he has a preexisting relationship with the Spanos family from his playing days. He got his first head-coaching job at the University of San Diego in 2004. After winning the national championship this year, he only has one box left to check as a football coach: winning a Super Bowl. Among teams with an opening, the Chargers present the best opportunity to do so on the quickest trajectory because they have a stud franchise quarterback in Herbert.
The timeline
How soon would the Chargers make a hire? That is a fascinating component of this situation.
The NFL hiring guidelines stipulate that teams cannot conduct in-person interviews with candidates employed by other clubs until Jan. 22, the Monday after the divisional round of the playoffs.
This is an attempt to slow down the hiring processes across the league. However, this guideline does not apply to Harbaugh, who is not employed by an NFL team.
Harbaugh is likely going to have interest from multiple teams. The Las Vegas Raiders are conducting a coaching search of their own. Harbaugh got his first coaching job as the Raiders’ QBs coach in 2002. The Atlanta Falcons fired Arthur Smith earlier this week and could be looking to take a big swing. The Tennessee Titans fired Mike Vrabel. The New England Patriots and Bill Belichick parted ways on Thursday. The Washington Commanders, Carolina Panthers and Seattle Seahawks also have openings.
Would significant competition force Harbaugh suitors to move more quickly? All teams must comply with the Rooney Rule, which mandates that all clubs must conduct in-person interviews with “at least two external candidates who are persons of color and/or women.”
The Chargers have an interview scheduled for Sunday with former Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, according to multiple reports. According to ESPN, Frazier is no longer under contract with Buffalo, which means he does not have to comply with any of the timing guidelines.
Last month, John Spanos was asked about the timeline for the Chargers’ searches. He mentioned the adjusted guidelines would create a “slower process.”
“This is something we would be very thoughtful and diligent (about) and we wouldn’t hurry into,” Spanos said. “In a way, we will be taking our time.”
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Would the approach change if the Chargers determine that Harbaugh is their guy — and, even further, if they feel like moving quickly is necessary to overcome a competitive marketplace?
The Chargers should have some leverage considering they have Herbert and they also present an attractive living locale in Southern California.
The GM pairing
If the Chargers do hire Harbaugh, then the next big decision will be pairing him with a GM.
Harbaugh’s falling out with then-GM Trent Baalke in San Francisco has been well-documented, and that expedited the end of his run with the 49ers.
Finding the right GM to work with Harbaugh will be paramount in cultivating success.
How much personnel power will Harbaugh want? That is an important question. I do not think the Spanos family would institute a power structure that allows the head coach to fill roles as head coach and general manager, like Bill Belichick in New England. I think they would prefer a more even split of responsibilities. It will be a delicate process to find the right balance. The key would be pairing Harbaugh with someone he has familiarity with and respects.
One option is Tom Gamble, who is the director of player personnel at Michigan. Gamble was a senior adviser to Harbaugh at Michigan from 2017 to 2019. He left in 2020 to serve as assistant general manager for the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL. Gamble spent 2021 as a senior personnel executive with the Jacksonville Jaguars, working under Baalke. He returned to Michigan in his current role in 2022. Gamble was a senior personnel executive with the 49ers in 2015 before being promoted to assistant general manager in 2016. Before that, he was the Philadelphia Eagles’ VP of player personnel in 2013 and 2014. He spent the previous eight seasons with the 49ers as a director of pro personnel. From 1998 to 2004, Gamble was a college scout for the Indianapolis Colts.
I also would not be surprised if the Chargers target a candidate with Baltimore Ravens ties if they hire Harbaugh. Of course, Harbaugh’s brother, John, has been the Ravens head coach for the past 16 seasons. Joe Hortiz is that team’s director of player personnel and a potential option in this scenario. The Chargers also have requested an interview with Chicago Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham, according to reports. Cunningham got his scouting start as a Ravens player personnel assistant in 2008, John Harbaugh’s first season as coach. Cunningham spent nine seasons in the Ravens’ personnel department.
(Top photo: Carmen Mandato / Getty Images)
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