Jim Harbaugh, Master Motivator & Leader, Returns to the NFL as Head Coach of the Los Angeles Chargers
13 Feb 2024
After winning the NCAA national championship as the head coach for the University of Michigan football team, Jim Harbaugh, one of our top speakers on motivation and leadership, is returning to the NFL as the head coach for the Los Angeles Chargers.
“Jim Harbaugh is football personified, and I can think of no one better to lead the Chargers forward,” said Chargers Owner Dean Spanos. “The son of a coach, brother of a coach, and father of a coach who himself was coached by names like Schembechler and Ditka … Jim has led hundreds of men to success everywhere he’s been—as their coach. And today, Jim Harbaugh returns to the Chargers, this time as our coach. Who has it better than us?”
Harbaugh, also an APB speaker, coached at Michigan for nine seasons with a record of 86-25 at the school. His final game was the first time the Wolverines won the national championship since 1997.
Long before he was a head coach, Harbaugh attended the University of Michigan where he won Big Ten Conference Player of the Year, started in a Rose Bowl and finished third in a competitive Heisman Trophy race. After college, he enjoyed a successful 14-year career in the NFL playing for the Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Ravens and the Chargers. He earned the nickname “Captain Comeback” for his ability to turn around a team with a losing record. This talent made him a highly sought-after coach following his retirement in 2000.
Jim was the quarterback coach for the Oakland Raiders in 2002 and 2003. In 2004, he joined the University of San Diego for three seasons where he led the Toreros to a 29-6 record. Then, Harbaugh became the Head Coach at Stanford University, turning their abysmal 1-11 record in 2006 into a memory of the past when in 2010 he led the Cardinals to a 12-1 season—earning himself the Woody Hayes Coach of the Year award. In 2011, Jim returned to the NFL as Head Coach for the San Francisco 49ers where he became one of their most successful coaches in the league after just four years. During his tenure there, he earned multiple NFC championship appearances and was named NFC Coach of the Year.
Although Harbaugh will always be a Wolverine at heart, he’s thrilled to be back at Los Angeles. “When I played for the Chargers, the Spanos family could not have been more gracious or more welcoming, Harbaugh said. “Being back here feels like home, and it’s great to see that those things haven’t changed.”