INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 01: Newly appointed head coach Jim Harbaugh of the Los Angeles Chargers speaks to the media during a press conference at YouTube Theater on February 01, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
When he was a player, Jim Harbaugh earned the nickname "Captain Comeback" for his propensity for turning losses into wins. He's about to take on his greatest comeback attempt to date.
On Thursday, Harbaugh was officially introduced as the new head coach of the Chargers. Fresh off winning a national championship at Michigan, his alma mater, Harbaugh now embarks on trying to do something nobody else has ever been able to pull off: winning a Super Bowl with the Bolts. Coach says the biggest reason for leaving what he built in Ann Arbor is he has unfinished business in the National Football League.
"I only have so many sands left in the hourglass and I want another shot. I want another shot to be simply known as world champions," says Harbaugh. "The Lombardi Trophy. That's my mission."
He came darn close in his first NFL foray. Harbaugh took the 49ers to the NFC Championship game in each of his first three seasons there, reaching one Super Bowl but losing it to his brother John and the Baltimore Ravens. He then restored the luster to Wolverine football, taking Michigan to the College Football Playoffs three straight years and winning the 2023 national title.
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With that obstacle cleared Harbaugh became one of the most sought-after head coach candidates on the market. The Chargers landed him, a bit of a surprise given their historically frugal nature. The franchise finally loosened the purse strings and paid for a high-profile head coach. Harbaugh will earn $16 million a year. That's more than their previous three coaches (Brandon Staley, Anthony Lynn, and Mike McCoy) earned combined.
Harbaugh says his teams are going to be tough in all phases of the game, particularly on offense, where he already has a plan to help superstar quarterback Justin Herbert live up to his vast potential.
"Play-action pass, we think we can be extraordinary there," says Harbaugh. "But also the running game. Work just as hard at that and get to be a balanced football team and protect the football."
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He did not get into specifics about schemes or how he'll fill out the coaching staff.
