After nine years, three straight Big Ten titles, three straight wins over Ohio State, three straight trips to the Playoff, one National Championship, and many, many failed attempts, someone with a Harbaugh-to-NFL rumor seems to finally be correct.
Breaking: Jim Harbaugh is leaving Michigan to accept the head coaching job with the Los Angeles Chargers, sources tell ESPN.
The Chargers get their man while the national champions now have a head-coach opening. pic.twitter.com/e937qd03hP
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 24, 2024
…as seemingly confirmed by the Chargers.
WHO’S GOT IT BETTER THAN US??
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) January 25, 2024
Whether they initiate a cursory search process first or not, the job is going to Sherrone Moore. Michigan's incumbent OC/OL coach served as interim head man four times last year, winning at Penn State, and winning the most narratively significant Michigan-Ohio State game ever played. More importantly, insiders say Sherrone Moore has the confidence of the players and staff. Also the other names talked about during periods of high Harbaugh departure inevitability were Kalen DeBoer, recently installed in Saban's chair, and Jedd Fisch, who is taking DeBoer's.
While the bulk of the coaching staff should stay put, if/when they name Moore he will need new coordinators for all three phases. During the post-2020 program rebuild Harbaugh brought in a lot of staff with deeper ties to Michigan than himself. If/when Moore is named, he is likely to hold onto critical architects of that turnaround like Steve Clinkscale, Mike Hart, Ron Bellamy, Mike Elston, Grant Newsome, Kirk Campbell, Denard Robinson, and most importantly S&C coach Ben Herbert. Defensive wunderkind Jesse Minter and the somehow still vastly underemployed Jay Harbaugh are expected to join Jay's dad in LA. If I was Sherrone I would ask them to use what they were going to pay Jim to try to hold onto those guys.
Michigan had some hope of holding onto Harbaugh, but one cannot win the Lombardi Trophy at Michigan. College coaches who can make the leap to the pros are rare--Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, Steve Spurrier, Lou Holtz all failed--and among them Harbaugh is the rarest: a successful college coach who's *already* taken an NFL team to the Super Bowl. It stings to lose him now, when Michigan's as strong as it's been in our lifetimes, but I've never met a Stanford fan who lamented Bill Walsh, a Canes fan mad at Jimmy Johnson, or a happy USC fan whether they had Pete Carroll or not.
This will not be the last time we talk about Jim Harbaugh, who turned around a program experiencing its worst decade since the 1950s, and leaves, like Fritz Crisler, after taking one of the greatest teams ever assembled to the pinnacle of college football. Crisler's top lieutenant promptly won another championship, but in the years afterward Michigan's administration fell behind in a rapidly changing landscape. Perhaps the benefit of knowing history is the power to learn from it.
Welcome, fans of the reigning National Champions, to the Age of Moore.
[Barron]
UPDATE: official. Statements from Santa Ono and Warde Manuel after the jump.
University of Michigan President Santa Ono Statement
We have been in talks with Jim Harbaugh for the last several weeks and have tried our best to retain him as our football coach. Jim called me today and let me know that he has made the difficult decision to leave Michigan and join the Los Angeles Chargers in pursuit of his NFL dreams.
For the fans, the players, and for me personally, we are sad to hear of Jim’s departure. His drive and ambition turned our program around, delivered our first national championship in a quarter century and maintained Michigan as the all-time winningest team in the history of college football.
I thank Jim for all he has done for the University of Michigan and respect his decision. He has been an extraordinary leader and a friend. I will be cheering for Jim as he embarks on this next adventure.
----------------------------
University of Michigan Athletic Director Warde Manuel Statement
I want to thank Jim for everything he has done for our football program, athletic department and the University of Michigan over the past nine years. Every day, he has worked extremely hard to elevate the stature of Michigan across the world, with the goal of winning championships and developing young men on and off the football field.
Jim did exactly what he sought to do at Michigan, build our program to consistently win Big Ten Championships and compete for national championships, culminating with a record three straight outright conference titles and the national championship this year. He did the same off the field by graduating his players and providing life experiences through mentorships, internships and team trips around the globe.
We have been discussing a new contract that would make Jim the highest paid coach in college football. In the end, he wanted to explore and ultimately decided to pursue a return to coaching in the NFL. We can’t thank Jim enough for all that he has done for our student-athletes, staff and Michigan Football. He will always be a huge part of our rich history, and will be remembered as an all-time great Wolverine, as both a championship player and coach.
Jim has always been extremely upfront with his communication regarding NFL opportunities and has been helpful with this transition in leadership. We had a great conversation tonight when he informed me of this decision to return to the NFL and offered his assistance in helping identify the needs for the program moving forward.
We are working quickly to hire the next head coach for the program and will do everything possible to keep this current staff and team together.
We appreciate Jim’s dedication and passion for Michigan, the university and Ann Arbor, and I wish Jim and the entire Harbaugh family much success with the Los Angeles Chargers.
#GoBlue
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Bando Calrissian
January 24th, 2024 at 7:38 PM ^
Do we know for sure that Herbert isn't going to follow Harbaugh to Los Angeles?
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MeanJoe07
January 24th, 2024 at 7:39 PM ^
Michigan should offer Herbert 2x whatever the Chargers offer
Joined: 09/15/2013
MGoPoints: 72015
Brodie
January 24th, 2024 at 7:47 PM ^
Obviously, we don’t but NFL teams don’t have strength guys like that. You have to understand, in the NFL most of these players are home by 5 PM every day. They don’t have the kind of conditioning regimen college teams do
Joined: 11/19/2008
MGoPoints: 10090
silly
January 24th, 2024 at 7:51 PM ^
Strength and Conditioning coaches are less important in the NFL. He'll make more at UM.
Joined: 01/17/2022
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Seth
January 24th, 2024 at 7:54 PM ^
College SC coach >>>> NFL SC coach. Players mostly have their own trainers, so your job is more about coordinating rehabs.
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RAH
January 24th, 2024 at 8:15 PM ^
And strength coaches don't have to recruit. Recruiting is generally regarded as negative when comparing college jobs to pro.
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Blinkin
January 24th, 2024 at 8:34 PM ^
This. Herbert already has the better job. The chargers would be a demotion for him.
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Double-D
January 24th, 2024 at 9:21 PM ^
And Ann Arbor cost of living is much better than LA.
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SeaWolv
January 25th, 2024 at 8:54 AM ^
I realize this is the perception but having to stroke the ego's of multimillion dollar egomaniacs ain't no picnic. In a sense you do have to recruit NFL players, to buy in to your philosophies and methods as head coach.
Joined: 12/16/2011
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schreibee
January 25th, 2024 at 12:51 PM ^
Herbert doesn't travel to recruit, or likely even communicate through social with croots.
But every kid that visits mentions Coach Herb & his program, his enthusiasm. So he definitely works on recruiting!
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schreibee
January 24th, 2024 at 11:22 PM ^
Actually Justin Herbert has been there for some time already...🤷♂️
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gwrock
January 24th, 2024 at 11:23 PM ^
I thought I read somewhere that Herbert just signed a five year extension. Did I imagine that?
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MaizeBlueA2
January 25th, 2024 at 7:26 AM ^
Jim followed Herbert to Los Angeles.
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MeanJoe07
January 24th, 2024 at 7:38 PM ^
Michigan should offer Minter 2x whatever the charges are offering make it hard on Harbaugh to get what he wants. He's the enemy now. We love him, but he's the enemy.
Joined: 09/15/2013
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RibbleMcDibble
January 24th, 2024 at 7:45 PM ^
I agree. Ask Minter for a year to handle the transition. Give him like 90-95% of whatever Moore's salary is, an Associate Head Coach title and ask him to groom a successor. He's going to the NFL eventually, but make it the year after next.
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Bando Calrissian
January 24th, 2024 at 7:49 PM ^
Minter is an NFL guy, this was a gig for Harbaugh and Harbaugh alone. He's got his surefire ticket back to the league now, no reason for him to stick around.
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RibbleMcDibble
January 24th, 2024 at 7:53 PM ^
He was at Vanderbilt prior to Michigan.
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Bando Calrissian
January 24th, 2024 at 8:05 PM ^
...after four seasons on John Harbaugh's staff in Baltimore. It's no secret he's wanted to be back in the NFL.
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RibbleMcDibble
January 24th, 2024 at 8:08 PM ^
Right, but you said he was at Michigan because of Jim Harbaugh as if he was only coaching at the college level like he was Mike Macdonald. He went back to college football prior to being at Michigan, so that's not entirely true. I agree with you that he's going to end up in the NFL, I think Michigan with the right offer and titles could make him delay that a year.
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