Harbaugh returning to NFL to coach Chargers after leading Michigan to national title
Associated PressCOSTA MESA, Calif. — Jim Harbaugh was hired as head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers on Wednesday, leaving Michigan after capping his ninth season as coach of college football’s winningest program with the school’s first national championship since 1997. “Jim Harbaugh is football personified, and I can think of no one better to lead the Chargers forward,” owner Dean Spanos said in a statement while also borrowing from one of Harbaugh’s catch phrases. “We appreciate Jim’s dedication and passion for Michigan, the university and Ann Arbor, and I wish Jim and the entire Harbaugh family much success with the Los Angeles Chargers.” Harbaugh was 86-25 at Michigan and restored college football’s winningest program to relevance after it slipped over several seasons. Following two straight losses in the College Football Playoff semifinals, extending Harbaugh’s winless streak in bowl games to six, Michigan outlasted Alabama at the Rose Bowl and pulled away from Washington to win the national championship with a school-record 15-0 mark.