Jim Harbaugh is returning to the NFL after agreeing to become the next coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. He most recently led the Michigan Wolverines to their first national title since 1997 with a 34-13 win over the Washington Huskies.
Harbaugh returns to the NFL more than a decade after a four-year stint with the San Francisco 49ers. The former NFL quarterback will be the Chargers' third head coach in the last five years after Brandon Staley was fired in mid-December. He inherits a team he played for in the NFL and is currently led by franchise quarterback Justin Herbert on offense and multiple star players on defense.
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Here's a look at his NFL history ahead of him stepping in with the Chargers:
Harbaugh became the head coach of the 49ers on Jan. 7, 2011 after a successful four-year stint with Stanford. He turned San Francisco around immediately; the 49ers went from 6-10 in 2010 to 13-3 in 2011 with a trip to the NFC Championship game.
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Over four years with the 49ers, Harbaugh compiled a 44-19-1 record in the regular season and went 5-3 in the playoffs. San Francisco lost to the Baltimore Ravens - coached by Harbaugh's brother John - in Super Bowl XLVII during Harbaugh's second season with the team.
The 49ers made the NFC championship game in each of Harbaugh's first three seasons, losing to the New York Giants in 2011, beating the Atlanta Falcons in 2012, and losing to the Seattle Seahawks in 2013. The Giants and Seahawks both won the Super Bowl in those seasons.
After an 8-8 record in 2014, the 49ers and Harbaugh parted ways and he left for Michigan.
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Harbaugh's only NFL coaching experience is from 2011-2014 with the 49ers. Outside of the NFL, he coached at the college level at the University of San Diego (2004-2006), Stanford (2007-2010), and Michigan (2015-2023).
Harbaugh compiled a 0.695 winning percentage in four seasons with the 49ers. That's fifth all-time in NFL history with a minimum of 50 games coached. All four coaches ahead of him in winning percentage are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame: George Allen (0.712), Vince Lombardi (0.738), John Madden (0.759), and Guy Chamberlin (0.784).
Despite being an offensive-minded coach, the 49ers excelled on defense under his watch. Here's how the 49ers ranked in major metrics during his time as head coach:
| Y | Win-loss record | Points scored | Points allowed | Division standing | Notes |
| 2011 | 13-3 | 23.8 per game (11th) | 14.3 per game (2nd) | 1st in NFC West | NFC runner up |
| 2012 | 11-4-1 | 24.8 per game (11th) | 17.1 per game (2nd) | 1st in NFC West | NFC champion |
| 2013 | 12-4 | 25.4 per game (11th) | 17.0 per game (3rd) | 2nd in NFC West | NFC runner up |
| 2014 | 8-8 | 19.1 per game (25th) | 21.3 per game (10th) | 3rd in NFC West |
His staffs in San Francisco included future NFL head coaches Vic Fangio and Jim Tomsula as well as future coordinators Greg Roman, Ejiro Evero, Ed Donatell, John Morton, and Mick Lombardi.
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Before he was a successful NFL coach, Harbaugh played 14 seasons in the NFL. The Chicago Bears selected him 26th overall in the 1987 NFL Draft and he played seven years there. He followed that with a four-year stint with the Indianapolis Colts that included a Pro Bowl season in 1995. He played one year with Baltimore before finishing his career out with the then-San Diego Chargers in 1999 and 2000.
Over 14 seasons, he compiled a 66-74 record as a starting quarterback. That 1995 season was his best and he led the NFL in quarterback rating (100.7) and fourth-quarter comebacks (three).
Michigan imposed a three-game suspension on Harbaugh at the beginning of the 2023 season for recruiting violations. The Big Ten Conference later suspended Harbaugh for the final three games of the regular season amid a sign-stealing scandal involving former staff member Connor Stalions.
Over nine years with the Wolverines, Harbaugh posted a 89-25 record with three Bowl game victories. The 2023 season marks his only undefeated season at the helm in Ann Arbor.