Jim Harbaugh is leaving the national champion Michigan Wolverines to accept the head coaching job with the NFL's Los Angeles Chargers, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports via Kris Rhim of ESPN.
Harbaugh was considered among the Chargers' most desirable candidates in this coaching cycle because of his success at every level. Since his head coaching career began in 2006 at the University of San Diego, Harbaugh has had success at stops at Stanford, Michigan and in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers.
There's also Harbaugh's Chargers connection: he played quarterback for the team for two seasons (1999-2000).
As a collegiate coach, Harbaugh has a 144-42 record, winning three Big Ten championships and Michigan's first national title since 1997.
He was 86-25 at Michigan and restored college football's winningest program to relevance after it slipped over several seasons under Brady Hoke and Rich Rodriguez following the retirement of national-championship winning coach Lloyd Carr.
The rival Ohio State Buckeyes had an eight-game winning streak against the Wolverines until Harbaugh helped them snap the streak in 2021, leading to their first of three straight Big Ten titles and College Football Playoff appearances.
Following two straight losses in the semifinals, extending Harbaugh's winless streak in bowl games to six, Michigan outlasted Alabama at the Rose Bowl and pulled away from Washington to win the national championship with a school-record 15-0 mark this season.
Harbaugh spent four seasons (2011-14) as the coach of the 49ers from 2011 to 2014, and he was named the NFL's Coach of the Year in his first season. He led the 49ers to the Super Bowl XLVII, where they lost to the Baltimore Ravens who were coached by his brother John.
Harbaugh left the 49ers after the 2014 season with a 44-19-1 regular record.
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