Jim Harbaugh is departing from the Michigan Wolverines. On Wednesday evening, it was revealed that the eight-year Michigan coach had accepted a position as head coach of the National Football League’s Los Angeles Chargers. Many Ohio State Buckeyes fans rushed to social media to celebrate the dismissal of their opponent’s coach.
Ironically, Harbaugh’s recent success against the Buckeyes helped him win the job with the Chargers.
When Harbaugh took over in 2015, Michigan had lost nine of their previous ten games against Ohio State. The losing skid lasted for the first five years of his career with the Wolverines, with some fans asking for his dismissal when things didn’t improve. Then, in 2021, Harbaugh fulfilled his word. He and the Wolverines upset the Buckeyes 42-27 in Michigan Stadium.
Harbaugh didn’t stop there; he led Michigan to two more consecutive victories over the next two seasons. Most recently, Harbaugh’s team converted their victory in “The Game” into a national championship, posting the first 15-0 record in Big Ten Conference history.
Harbaugh leaves Michigan with an 86-25 career record, including three consecutive College Football Playoff appearances and a national championship win.
Leading the Chargers in the 2024 season will not be Harbaugh’s first time in the NFL. Harbaugh was a member of the San Francisco 49ers’ coaching staff for four seasons and was present when the team won the Super Bowl in 2014. Jim Harbaugh’s brother, John Harbaugh, has been the Baltimore Ravens’ head coach for the past few seasons (including the aforementioned Super Bowl). The two siblings will coach against each other this season, when the Ravens face the Chargers in Los Angeles on an undetermined date.
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Jim Harbaugh completed Michigan’s dream season before moving to the NFL and away from NCAA sanctions.
Did Jim Harbaugh ride into the sunset? Or did he beat the posse out of town? Both. The Michigan Wolverines football coach accomplished his manifest destiny when he returned to his alma university in 2015. He brought the Wolverines back to prominence, and eventually to domination. He finished with a bang, defeating Ohio State three years in a row and clinching the program’s first undisputed national championship since 1948. Already a beloved son for his exploits as a swashbuckling 1980s quarterback, his position in Michigan history is now second to none as he heads for the Los Angeles Chargers and the NFL.
But it’s not that simple. Because Harbaugh is also leaving ahead of additional likely NCAA punishment for alleged breaches committed during his tenure. This past season, he was suspended for six games, which could have simply been for warmup penalties. Two Michigan infractions cases remain open, with Harbaugh expected to face Level I claims in both—an unusual number of penalties in such a short period of time.
In that regard, Harbaugh joins Pete Carroll, who left USC, and Chip Kelly, who left Oregon, in becoming pro before being sanctioned by the NCAA. Perhaps the NFL would attempt to impose a “no safe harbor” punishment on Harbaugh, as it did on Jim Tressel when he left Ohio State to work as an advisor for the Indianapolis Colts, but suspending a head coach would be extremely unusual.
The best prediction is that in Harbaugh’s absence, the hammer will fall on Michigan. Perhaps a velvet hammer, because NCAA crime and punishment operate in odd ways, but don’t expect a wrist slap. The first violations case, which focused on improper interaction during the COVID-19 dead period, is well understood and contained. The second case—the great Connor Stalions espionage effort, which is set to be a Netflix miniseries in a few years—remains open-ended and could become more troublesome if staff members other than Stalions are implicated.
Regardless, the fan base and others will scream about how unfair it is, as Michigan has moaned like champions for nearly a year due to the continuing investigations. It’s been an Auburn-level bravura performance. Ultimately, they will accept the trade-off.
Winning a national title lasts forever, even if it is vacated (which appears improbable). The Wolverines will deal with the implications. Losing the coach hurts, as does losing star quarterback J.J. McCarthy and others to the draft, and losing a few players to the transfer portal in the aftermath of Harbaugh’s departure may hurt. It may also be difficult to watch Ohio State prepare for what could be a huge season. So will whatever sanctions are imposed—coach suspensions, recruiting restrictions, and probably even a postseason ban—but most Michigan fans will regard the 2024 hangover as a little price to pay for the wild 2023 party.
Sherrone Moore, the offensive coordinator, will most likely be in charge of sweeping and dusting. He fared admirably in Harbaugh’s late-season absence, leading the Wolverines to victories over the Penn State Nittany Lions, Maryland Terrapins, and Ohio State Buckeyes—particularly an impressive offensive game against the Buckeyes. Giving a first-year head coach a position at a school like Michigan is risky, but Moore got a taste of it this season. And the program has a better track record of promoting from within than many others (see Lloyd Carr and Gary Moeller).
The Wolverines should be ready to move swiftly, especially if athletic director Warde Manuel just instructs Moore to relocate a few doors down in Schembechler Hall. (It’s not unreasonable to think that Michigan told Kalen DeBoer to take the Alabama Crimson Tide job since it would be filled internally.) Even if it wishes to do a more extensive search, the school has been preparing for this for weeks, if not months, as the yearly Harbaugh dalliance with the NFL intensified and NCAA investigations proceeded. Moore (or anyone else) will be filling enormous shoes, perhaps even bigger than Nick Saban’s at Alabama.
National titles are considered unavoidable at Alabama—Bear Bryant won a fistful and Gene Stallings won one before Saban arrived and took over. In Michigan, not so much. Carr’s divided 1997 title is the only thing standing between the 1948 championship under Bennie Oosterbaan and 2023 under Harbaugh. Then there’s Harbaugh’s Michigan Man-ness. He was a direct descendant of the Bo Schembechler line, which still brings tears to the eyes of mature men. He personified the program in every possible way.
Harbaugh’s persona is one of heat-seeking and heat-attracting. He was a huge deal as a player and was anticipated to be one as a coach. He is always quirky, entirely unexpected, unafraid to stir any pot within reach, and a master of conflict. During his eight seasons as Michigan’s coach, he went from curious to underachiever to major lightning rod. For those who enjoy the spectacle of college football, Harbaugh will be sadly missed. However, the NFL also does theater, so keep tuned.
Welcome, Chargers, to the Big Show. With Jim Harbaugh. Michigan supporters will be saddened by his departure, but they should also consider themselves quite fortunate given how things turned out. What if Manuel had grown impatient with Harbaugh’s 0-5 start versus Ohio State? What if Harbaugh had been offered an NFL position he desired in either of the previous two years and left before the championship season? What if the Stallion case had blown up a year ago, resulting in hefty punishments that impacted this season?
In the end, Michigan benefited from good timing. The Wolverines achieved their dream season and elusive crown. They completed their first Ohio State three-peat since the mid-1990s. They exorcised a Southeastern Conference demon in the College Football Playoffs. They went 15-0 with a head coach who was only present for nine of the victories. Jim Harbaugh has completed his quest and is now heading west. He is riding into the sunset while also getting away from the NCAA gang.
