On January 24th, 2024 the Los Angeles Chargers signed Jim Harbaugh to become the next head coach. The signing was official after a team meeting from the current Chargers Headquarters in Los Angeles. Harbaugh, the longtime Michigan Wolverines head football coach who recently won the 2024 National College Football Championship, will be joining the Chargers under a 5 year contract deal signed.

Jacob Dosch, a longtime Los Angeles Charger fan and current SRHS junior is impressed with the hiring of Harbaugh. “I think this is going to be the piece the Chargers were missing. For the Chargers to go out and hire this dude, this is big news.”

After an unsuccessful 2023 NFL season having just 5 wins out of 17 games, the Chargers fired their former head coach Brandon Staley, and have been eager to find a new coach. The team interviewed multiple individuals for the head coaching spot, but decided with Harbaugh due to his resume.

“Jim has played at a Division 1 college, played in the NFL for a long time, coached at numerous colleges, and recently just won the National Championship for college football. This guy has everything the Chargers were looking for in a head coach,” says Colin McGinnis, a senior at SRHS.

Jim Harbaugh has coached the Michigan Wolverines from 2015-2023, the San Francisco 49ers from 2011-2014, and Stanford University from 2007-2010. He also played in the NFL from 1987 to 2001 as a prominent quarterback for 3 football teams; the Chicago Bears, the Indianapolis Colts, and the San Diego Chargers.

“From working as an assistant coach at Western Kentucky alongside my father, Jack, and time as an assistant with the Raiders, to being a head coach at USD, Stanford, the 49ers and Michigan — each of those opportunities carried significance, each felt personal. When I
played for the Chargers, the Spanos family could not have been more gracious or more welcoming. Being back here feels like home, and it’s great to see that those things haven’t changed,” states Jim Harbaugh to ESPN.

The hiring of Jim Harbaugh has electrified Charger fans throughout the nation, with hopes that their team may be a Super Bowl contender for years to come.

“I know we are going to have a good season next year. The Chargers have always had a problem with coaching, ever since I was a kid. Too many times the game was decided last second based on a terrible coaching play call. Now that will be no more. Mark my words, the Chargers will be going to the Super Bowl in the next 6 years, and it is going to be because of Jim Harbaugh and the recent coaching hires the Chargers have made. Man, is this an exciting time to be a Charger fan,” states diehard Charger fan and SRHS junior Diego Madrid.

The addition of Jim Harbaugh to Los Angeles is one of the most exciting moves in the NFL offseason, and enables the Chargers to reset their current coaching style.