NFL Rumors: Los Angeles Chargers Nearing Deal with Jim Harbaugh for Head Coach

Jim Harbaugh is ready for his comeback. According to the NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, the current Michigan head coach and former San Francisco 49ers head coach is in "striking distance" of a deal that will make him the new head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers.

From The Insiders on #NFLPlus and @nflnetwork: The #Chargers and Jim Harbaugh are now in striking distance of getting a deal done as Harbaugh is in LA today for another meeting with the team. pic.twitter.com/YJhNzRzOcP
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 23, 2024

Harbaugh has enjoyed enormous success everywhere he has gone. He initially rose to prominence resurrecting a long-dormant Stanford team in the college ranks, culminating in a 12-1 season in 2010. That record earned the Cardinals a fourth-place finish in the AP Poll, the school's best final ranking since 1970.

That success bought Harbaugh an opportunity with the San Francisco 49ers in 2011. Over four years with the team, he compiled an impressive .695 winning percentage and even earned a Super Bowl berth following the 2012 season.

Following the 2014 season, Harbaugh seized a chance to return to the NCAA to coach Michigan, his alma mater. After years of close calls and late-season disappointments, the Wolverines finally broke through this year, bringing Michigan a 15-0 undefeated season and the program's first national title since 1997.

Harbaugh is arguably the hottest coach on the market and would be a huge catch for the Chargers, a franchise that has typically struggled to stay relevant on the national scale. He has already proven himself capable of building contenders in the pros and in college, and he'll bring serious star power and credibility to a team lacking in it.