Los Angeles Chargers Coach Jim Harbaugh Has Eye-Opening Quote About New Job

Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Jim Harbaugh is one of the winningest coaches in the NFL and one of the most successful coaches in modern college football. As he begins a new era with the Los Angeles Chargers, it’s evidently stood out to him in a very special way.

Harbaugh started his coaching career at Western Kentucky as an offensive assistant (1994-2001) before becoming the Oakland Raiders quarterbacks coach (2002-’03). He then landed his first head-coaching job at the University of San Diego (1999-2000) before taking over as the Stanford Cardinal coach in 2007.

Jim Harbaugh record in NFL: 44-19-1 in regular season, 5-3 in NFL playoffs

He’s been successful at every stop of the way. After leading Stanford to a 12-1 season in 2010, he was hired as the San Francisco 49ers head coach and led a one-year turnaround. Harbaugh turned the 49ers into one of the best NFL teams during his tenure, before taking over at his alma mater the University of Michigan.

A coach always remembers their first job, especially their first head-coaching gig at the NFL. Often times, though, the opportunity to coach your alma mater is even more meaningful especially when it’s a storied program. However, it appears Harbaugh’s time in Los Angeles has made an even stronger impression.

During a recent press conference aired on Chargers.com, Harbaugh told reports that he’s loved every moment of his experience as the team’s head coach and it’s already become the best start to a job he’s ever had as a football coach.

“They’ve been great. This is just true, it’s been the best damn job I’ve ever had to start out with. I hope that it ends that way, but it’s been a tremendous start. Hiring coaches, free agency — that’s not just one day, that goes for a while — getting ready for the draft. Really excited about the coaching staff and the amount of work that has been produced over the last month-and-a-half. It’s been a lot, they’ve done a great job. It’s been locked, cocked, ready to rock, just needed the players to come in, and we got that today. It’s been really good.”
Jim Harbaugh on the Los Angeles Chargers’ coaching job (H/T NFL.com)

Why Jim Harbaugh’s statement matters for the Los Angeles Chargers

It certainly helps to have a franchise quarterback like Justin Herbert, because long-term security at the most important position in professional sports makes life easier for a quarterback. Of course, holding the fifth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft order and being based in Los Angeles makes life even better.

Jim Harbaugh college coaching record: 118-46 overall, 89-25 at Michigan

However, Harbaugh’s comments are also a testament to the Chargers’ organization. While the franchise has been the subject of well-deserved criticism in recent years for a lack of spending, the Spanos family did provide Harbaugh with the financial resources to build his dream Chargers coaching staff in 2024.

Jim Harbaugh salary: $16 million

For the first time in years, there appears to be true stability in Los Angeles with extreme confidence in the quarterback, coaching staff and front office. The Houston Texans are a perfect example of how quickly a turnaround can happen with the right people in place at the most important positions.

Based on the early start, it seems clear Harbaugh sees those building blocks in place for the Chargers and that bodes very well for the club’s future. One thing is also clear, nobody has it better than Harbaugh, nobody.