Chargers rent Jim Harbaugh: Good match for either side?

If it’s a must to rent a head coach, touchdown the reigning nationwide champion looks like a superb place to look. The Los Angeles Chargers bought their man on Wednesday, hiring Jim Harbaugh away from Michigan to take over. After 9 seasons on the collegiate stage, Harbaugh returns to the NFL, the place he went 44-19-1 in 4 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2014.

I am going to begin with the conclusion: It is a nice rent. Issues can clearly go haywire on all sides within the NFL, but when the Chargers have been going to rent somebody to rebuild their group, Harbaugh needed to be probably the most certified candidate out there, in need of former New England Patriots coach Invoice Belichick. And if Harbaugh ever needed to return to the NFL, this seems like the suitable place for him to go. There’s nonetheless some work left to be completed, although, and what occurs subsequent for L.A. is perhaps much more intriguing than its rent.

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Earlier than all that, let us take a look at this rent from all sides’s perspective. Why is that this an ideal match?

Bounce to a bit:
Harbaugh’s match with the Chargers
The Chargers’ causes for wanting him
The looming choices to determine

The Harbaugh facet

Two years in the past, Harbaugh had an interview with the Vikings, misplaced out on the place to Kevin O’Connell and mentioned “that is the final time” he would pursue an NFL place. Final yr, he had a video assembly with the Broncos earlier than taking his identify out of the operating for Denver’s job. This yr, after successful a nationwide championship, the lure of the NFL and the prospect to win a Tremendous Bowl was apparently too robust.

If Harbaugh was going to pursue an NFL job, the Chargers’ opening clearly looks like the form of function that might finest align with what he would possibly search for in a possibility. Even with out contemplating the completed enterprise at Michigan, he and the Chargers are a greater match than the earlier openings in Minnesota and Denver. I had reservations concerning the L.A. opening after I ranked it second among the many seemingly openings earlier this offseason, however there have been parts that ought to attraction to Harbaugh, particularly in gentle of what occurred throughout his first tenure within the league.

To start out, there is a franchise quarterback already in place. Harbaugh will inherit a 25-year-old budding star in Justin Herbert, albeit one who has but to make the leap from superb quarterback to famous person. Nearly everybody believes Herbert to be able to making that soar, and I am certain his new coach would not have taken this job until he felt the identical manner.

From the coach’s perspective, the final time he had a quarterback this good to tutor would have been when he coached Andrew Luck at Stanford. When Harbaugh took over the 49ers job, he inherited Alex Smith and used a second-round choose on Colin Kaepernick. Smith began in 2011 earlier than Kaepernick took the job over in 2012. The 49ers additionally traded for Blaine Gabbert after long-standing curiosity from the coach within the 2011 first-round choose, though Gabbert did not begin a recreation for San Francisco till after Harbaugh had left for Michigan.

Whereas there was hypothesis Harbaugh would possibly take over a crew just like the Falcons and draft J.J. McCarthy, his quarterback from Michigan, the choice to guide the Chargers certainly brings that prepare of thought to an in depth. Herbert hasn’t even began the brand new seasons on his five-year, $262.5 million extension, and the crew would not be capable of deal with the $108.5 million in useless cash on a commerce. Harbaugh will not be reuniting along with his title-winning quarterback any time quickly.

The opposite ingredient that might seemingly be most precious to Harbaugh is personnel management. He famously grew aside from normal supervisor Trent Baalke throughout their shared tenure with the 49ers, resulting in pressure between the coach and each Baalke and the crew’s possession. After the crew misplaced three straight video games to fall to 7-7 in 2014, the group advised Harbaugh he would not be returning. He completed out the season, and whereas the 49ers characterised it as a parting of how, Harbaugh believed he had been fired.

The 49ers selected Baalke over Harbaugh with disastrous outcomes, as they cycled by means of Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly with dismal outcomes earlier than turning issues over to Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch in 2017. It was at all times going to be powerful for Harbaugh to affix a corporation the place an current normal supervisor had energy as Kwesi Adofo-Mensah does in Minnesota and George Paton in Denver. Most groups within the NFL merely aren’t prepared at hand one particular person management over each teaching and personnel, and two of the coaches who had been afforded each these duties (Belichick and Pete Carroll) have been fired earlier this month.

After the Chargers fired Tom Telesco in December, there isn’t a normal supervisor within the constructing for Los Angeles. The Bolts employed Harbaugh earlier than selecting their normal supervisor, which appears telling. On the very least, whomever they rent to take over personnel duties will have to be snug with Harbaugh because the coach, whereas Harbaugh ought to have the power to say whether or not he’ll really feel in tune with whichever candidate crew proprietor Dean Spanos has most popular. When push inevitably involves shove down the road, although, Harbaugh’s standing as a desired candidate and because the first of the 2 to affix the group means that the coach will get his manner, not whoever ultimately lands right here as normal supervisor.

Of the eight NFL head-coaching openings that got here out there this offseason, the Chargers’ may need been the one one which was going to supply some stage of personnel management. The Titans and Seahawks had current normal managers who’ve assumed extra energy after their coaches have been let go. The Commanders have been about to rent a normal supervisor. The Patriots, Raiders and Panthers have given a coach personnel management lately with disappointing outcomes. The Falcons may need been prepared to let a brand new coach make choices over Terry Fontenot. However L.A. was the one franchise that had a transparent opening and nothing standing in the way in which of a coach with important energy.

Harbaugh additionally lands in a vacation spot the place it is going to be straightforward to recruit. California would not provide the identical state earnings tax-free advantages that warm-weather states corresponding to Texas and Florida do for gamers, however Los Angeles has been a extremely fascinating vacation spot at no cost brokers in each single main American sport for many years. Past massive names, the Rams have been capable of lure gamers to swimsuit up for lower than they’d have seemingly gotten elsewhere. That may be a giant identify towards the tip of his profession — corresponding to Clay Matthews or Bobby Wagner — or a lesser-known participant corresponding to Ahkello Witherspoon, who performed for near the minimal this season and produced wonderful outcomes for the Rams. Harbaugh shouldn’t have any hassle promoting gamers on L.A.

The Chargers’ facet

Whereas beating the Rams for hearts and minds in Los Angeles should not be Spanos’ main aim, this has to really feel like one of many few issues the Chargers may do to attract consideration. The Chargers have spent most of their time in Los Angeles as undesirable afterthoughts amid a gradual run of success from Sean McVay and the Rams. The Bolts’ residence video games are usually overrun by followers of the opposition, who can each make a journey to a warm-weather vacation spot to help their crew whereas understanding they’re going to seemingly be surrounded by extra of their brethren than Chargers followers. Individuals aren’t going to out of the blue love this crew as a result of Harbaugh is round, however when Herbert did not transfer the needle, the one factor to swing long-term help towards the Chargers in Los Angeles is perhaps a coach who constantly wins.

The expectation for Harbaugh needs to be that he’ll flip across the ship. In 2004, Harbaugh took over a College of San Diego crew that had by no means gained double-digit video games and bought them there in his second and third seasons on the helm. He then inherited a 1-11 Stanford crew in 2007, bought them to a successful report in 12 months 3 and went 12-1 in his fourth and last season with the varsity. And whereas it took him six years earlier than he actually challenged for a nationwide title with Michigan, he acquired a 5-7 crew from Brady Hoke and instantly bought it to 10 wins, a mark the Wolverines hit in six of Harbaugh’s eight full seasons in Ann Arbor.

Essentially the most spectacular turnaround may need been what he achieved with the 49ers. After cap points and subpar drafting lastly sank the dynasty that started within the Invoice Walsh period, they wandered by means of the wilderness for almost a decade. They went 9-23 with Dennis Erickson, 18-37 with Mike Nolan and 18-22 with Mike Singletary, posting zero successful seasons within the course of.

Singletary was fired late within the 2010 season, throughout a yr during which probably the most memorable second seemingly got here in Week 5. Smith, the crew’s No. 1 total choose in 2005, had been beneath heart for an 0-4 begin. Amid an unsightly efficiency towards the Eagles, followers booed Smith off the sector whereas chanting, “We would like Carr,” in reference to journeyman backup David Carr, who hadn’t began a recreation since 2007. Smith ultimately misplaced his job by way of harm to Troy Smith, who held the function earlier than it went again to Alex Smith for the tip of the season.

Alex Smith was a free agent, and it appeared prefer it was time for a clear break between the extremely touted prospect and the 49ers.

As a substitute, whereas it did not occur till July due to the lockout, Harbaugh introduced Smith again. He instantly morphed into a unique quarterback. Smith minimize his interception charge from 2.9% to a league-best 1.1% and topped a 60% completion charge and seven.0 yards per try for the primary time in his professional profession. A quarterback who had gone 19-31 throughout six professional seasons went 13-3. The identical followers who have been booing Smith off the sector a yr earlier roared for his or her quarterback as he went punch for punch with Drew Brees in one of many nice playoff video games in league historical past, culminating with a final-minute landing move to Vernon Davis for a well-known 49ers victory. The group Smith described as “dysfunctional” and a locker room that had been “very separated” out of the blue coalesced round Harbaugh.

A yr later, Harbaugh made it to the Tremendous Bowl, but it surely wasn’t with Smith beneath heart. Kaepernick, a second-round pick of Nevada, had come out of a pistol assault that did not look very similar to any NFL offense on the time. (The Chiefs used the pistol with Tyler Thigpen out of necessity due to accidents in 2008, but it surely did not stick.) Kaepernick was seen on the time as a uncooked prospect, a man whose bodily instruments translated extra to the NFL than his tape.

Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman as a substitute constructed their offense round Kaepernick’s twin talents as a passer and a runner, permitting him to work out of the pistol on the professional stage. In a season during which Robert Griffin excelled with the zone-read and different zone ideas for Washington, Roman constructed a extra gap-heavy quarterback run recreation for Kaepernick, who additionally posted gaudy numbers as a passer. Kaepernick’s 263-passing yard, 181-rushing yard efficiency towards the Packers within the divisional spherical was one of the dominant performances I’ve seen from a quarterback whereas overlaying the league, and he introduced the 49ers inside a drive of successful Tremendous Bowl XLVII.

Past the quarterbacks, there have been so many gamers who both improved on what that they had beforehand completed with the 49ers or excelled after arriving in San Francisco. Harbaugh bought probably the most out of Alex Boone, Michael Crabtree, NaVorro Bowman, Chris Borland and Tarell Brown. Imports corresponding to Carlos Rogers, Donte Whitner and Ahmad Brooks have been higher with the 49ers than that they had been throughout their prior stops.

The Chargers have a category of gamers they’re hoping to see extra from in 2024, together with excessive draft picks Zion Johnson, Asante Samuel Jr. and Quentin Johnston. Harbaugh’s work in maximizing expertise in San Francisco lends hope he can get everybody on the identical web page in Los Angeles.

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Stephen A.: Chargers made the sensible transfer to rent Harbaugh

Stephen A. Smith explains why he sees Jim Harbaugh as the suitable rent to be the top coach of the Chargers.

In 2012, I wrote that Harbaugh is perhaps probably the most worthwhile particular person within the NFL. In February 2014, when studies got here out that the Browns have been attempting to commerce for Harbaugh, provided that he was making $5 million per yr on the time, I urged he was underpaid by half and price two first-round picks in a deal. The Chargers are getting him for nothing greater than a $1.5 million buyout. Whereas permitting that issues went south for Harbaugh in 2014, that is an unimaginable alternative for this franchise. I would name it a buy-low deal, however can you actually purchase low on a contract for any person who simply gained a championship?

What’s subsequent for Harbaugh and the Chargers?

This is the half I discover so fascinating. This was already going to be a transitional yr for the Chargers roster, given that they are $44 million over the projected wage cap with out re-signing starters Austin Ekeler, Gerald Everett and Kenneth Murray. A few of these gamers will not come again, and Corey Linsley is perhaps compelled to retire due to a medical situation. Khalil Mack and Keenan Allen have huge cap numbers and are on the fallacious facet of 30. Harbaugh must resolve whether or not he desires to maintain them with new contracts to cut back their cap hits or go youthful at key positions.

The following massive query for Harbaugh and the Chargers is who he hires as his coordinators. He despatched one head-coaching candidate to the league from Michigan in Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, who can be both get a head job someplace or be blocked from following his outdated boss to Los Angeles by Baltimore. The extra logical candidate is Macdonald successor Jesse Minter, who helped the Wolverines enable a nation-best 10.4 factors per recreation this season.

Earlier than Wednesday, Minter would have appeared like an apparent selection to affix Harbaugh. Just a few hours earlier than Harbaugh was employed, although, information broke that the Dolphins have been parting methods with defensive coordinator Vic Fangio after only one season. Fangio is considered top-of-the-line defensive coaches in all of soccer, and Miami led the league in defensive anticipated factors added (EPA) per play over a 10-week span after Jalen Ramsey returned and earlier than all of its edge rushers suffered accidents. Fangio did not appear to mesh with the locker room, nevertheless.

Reviews have linked Fangio to the Eagles, the place he would take over for Sean Desai and Matt Patricia. However what a few reunion with Harbaugh? Fangio was Harbaugh’s defensive coordinator in San Francisco, the place the 49ers ranked within the prime three in scoring protection in 2011, 2012 and 2013. The Chargers ran a model of the Fangio protection beneath Brandon Staley and by no means appeared to get issues sorted out, however the roster is already constructed to play this fashion, and maybe Fangio would do a greater job of teaching up that expertise than Staley.

Harbaugh’s coordinator on the opposite facet of the ball from his time in San Francisco can also be out there. Roman adopted Harbaugh from Stanford to the 49ers, with whom he served because the O-coordinator for 4 seasons. Roman was certainly one of a number of playcallers in San Francisco throughout that time-frame, with Harbaugh overseeing the operation and having the suitable to overrule calls.

Roman has since gone on to name performs with the Payments and Ravens. Within the latter cease, a Roman-authored offense that seemed rather a lot like an expanded model of the assault he ran with Kaepernick in San Francisco helped Lamar Jackson to an MVP season in 2019. Roman’s offense appeared to expire of steam, and the transfer to interchange him with Todd Monken as coordinator seems to have unlocked a brand new stage as a passer from Jackson, who is predicted to win his second MVP award this season.

The concept of putting in Roman because the coordinator for Kaepernick in San Francisco, Jackson in Baltimore and Tyrod Taylor in Buffalo made sense, given how closely they have been going to characteristic as a part of the run recreation along with what they provided as passers. Herbert can scramble and is hard as nails, however the Chargers most likely don’t desire their franchise quarterback operating QB energy 5 occasions per recreation. Chargers followers who’ve seen Jackson flourish in a extra numerous passing assault after maybe being stifled at occasions beneath Roman understandably don’t desire that with Herbert.

I would as a substitute level out that Roman and Harbaugh coaxed what was to that time a career-altering yr from Alex Smith in 2011. The 49ers used Smith as a runner at occasions, with that well-known third-down sweep for a landing within the playoff win over the Saints as probably the most notable instance, however they ran a extra standard passing assault with Smith than reminiscence would possibly serve. If Roman can try this with Smith, he (and Harbaugh) should not have any hassle constructing a coherent offense with Herbert’s array of abilities.

Then again, the incumbent right here ought to have an inexpensive case. Coordinator Kellen Moore had the Chargers within the prime quarter of the league in each EPA per play (fifth) and factors scored per drive (seventh) through the first half of the season earlier than accidents sank them within the second half of the marketing campaign. Moore was a sizzling head-coaching candidate after his run with the Cowboys, and whereas Dak Prescott had arguably his finest season after Mike McCarthy moved on from Moore final offseason, Moore was interviewed by the Chargers for his or her head-coaching function throughout this course of.

Possession additionally blocked Moore from interviewing with the Bears for his or her offensive coordinator function earlier than Chicago employed Shane Waldron, a choice which appears telling about how they worth the 34-year-old. Harbaugh, 60, is not going to be compelled to tackle an offensive coordinator he would not need, however there’s an opportunity Moore sticks round with a brand new coach in Los Angeles subsequent season.

Whereas hiring Harbaugh must be thought-about a victory for the Chargers after such a disappointing season, there’s much more work to be completed right here. The id of the coordinators would possibly inform us how aggressively he desires to rebuild the roster, whereas there are critical choices to be made about veteran stalwarts over the weeks to come back. The final time he took an NFL job, he endured a lockout earlier than constructing an on the spot Tremendous Bowl contender out of a 6-10 crew that had been disappointing for a decade. Now, with a full offseason to work, Harbaugh will attempt to take a 5-12 crew that has underwhelmed for even longer and repeat the feat. This needs to be enjoyable.