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After weeks of speculation, a marriage between head coach Jim Harbaugh and the Los Angeles Chargers became official.
Harbaugh’s departure from college is bound to bring change to Michigan, but what does his move back to the NFL mean for the Chargers?
Below are three things the franchise can potentially look forward to with its new ball coach now in tow.
The Harbaugh effect on QB Justin Herbert
Herbert may already considered among the league’s best crop of young quarterbacks. However, it’s not only reasonable to expect Harbaugh to have a substantial impact on his game compared to Brandon Staley; it should be the expectation.
Staley never played in the NFL, and his specialty was on the defensive side of the ball. Conversely, Harbaugh has experience playing Herbert’s position at the highest level, so he’s been in his shoes.
Meanwhile, he’s helped mature many others from the sidelines, from Andrew Luck to J.J. McCarthy in college to Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick in the professional ranks.
Harbaugh has employed more of a run-heavy offense in the past, but he’s walking into the job on day one with a borderline elite talent ready to open up a world of possibilities.
He’s a head coach who’s genuinely gotten the most out of his QBs, which should excite Herbert and Chargers fans alike.
More winning, and soon
Entering the 2024 campaign, the Chargers have missed the playoffs in 11 of the last 14 seasons and haven’t reached the divisional round of the postseason only once since 2018. Well, Harbaugh’s arrival could change things quickly because if he does anything, it’s win wherever he goes.
In four seasons in the NFL, Harbaugh went 44-19-1 with three playoff appearances and a trip to the 2012 NFC Championship game. Meanwhile, in college, he won at Stanford and Michigan, going 118-46 overall while boasting four teams that finished ranked among the top five in the country to go along with his 2023 CFP national championship victory.
Turnover is expected with the change to any regime, and the same applies to the Chargers. Though there might be a slight feeling out process, more winning should be in the team’s future.
Power re-alignment in the AFC West
The power atop the AFC West has been the Kansas City Chiefs, led by HC Andy Reid, for a while now. Now, the Chargers are seemingly getting serious about joining the chase.
Ultimately, Lombardi Trophies are the end goal for Harbaugh and the Chargers, but step one will be conquering a division the franchise hasn’t won since 2009.
His arrival, paired with the Chiefs, the maturation of the Denver Broncos under Sean Payton, and the underdog brewing in Antonio Piece and the Las Vegas Raiders, paint the picture of a division prepared to eat itself. However, L.A. has put themselves in a position to come out on top.
Harbaugh isn’t an unknown. He’s a proven commodity. Over his three coaching stops, he posted only two losing records, his first two with Stanford in 2007 and 2008. So, considering his history and the pieces already in place, a long-term build toward winning probably isn’t on the docket.
Instead, it’s much more likely that the Chargers are contending in the West sooner rather than later.
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