Former gamers share tales of Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh

WHEN PLAYERS AT the College of San Diego discovered Jim Harbaugh could be taking the head-coaching job in 2004, many have been shocked.

Harbaugh had labored for 2 years as a quarterbacks coach within the NFL after 14 seasons as a participant, the place he’d earned the title “Captain Comeback.”

“Captain Comeback was form of recent on everybody’s thoughts, so we’re form of like, ‘No approach,'” stated Eric Bakhtiari, who performed defensive finish at San Diego. “He nonetheless seemed like he might play. He had the large chiseled jaw and he nonetheless walked round with that depth, however he additionally had the youth behind him, too. After which day one he shook the tradition up.”

One of many first modifications Harbaugh applied was how the group skilled. He made the group run a hill on campus that Bakhtiari recollects being not less than 400 meters, taking gamers sometimes not less than 60 seconds to succeed in the highest.

On one event Harbaugh joined the group within the sprints, main the group for every rep. Some gamers have been too drained to maintain up and started hiding in bushes or standing off to the facet due to the quantity of reps and quick tempo with which Harbaugh was main. And Harbaugh felt the results, too.

“He was full velocity up the hill, turned to the left, threw up, received a bit of bit on his windbreaker on his shoulder and his arm, by no means broke stride, by no means stated something about it,” Bakhtiari stated whereas laughing. “He acted like nothing occurred. It was just like the vomit was an inconvenience to his objective.”

From that day ahead the group deemed that hill, “Harbaugh Hill.”

Harbaugh left San Diego after the 2006 season and went on to be the coach at Stanford earlier than later departing for the San Francisco 49ers in 2011 and profitable a nationwide championship with Michigan in January.

Over 20 seasons, the Los Angeles Chargers coach has made his title turning applications round by growing quarterbacks — Andrew Luck, Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick — and implementing feared speeding offenses.

However he has additionally earned a popularity marked by his quirks: He typically wears the identical outfits as a result of that is one fewer non-football resolution to be made, he enjoys understanding together with his gamers at 60 years outdated and he is described as a person with 1,000,000 proverbs.

“These are anecdotes that to the common individual sound wild and incomprehensible,” stated J.T. Rogan, who performed working again for Harbaugh at San Diego, “however to him it is simply how he lives his life.”

‘He is in there understanding in khakis’

It did not matter if it was a 6 a.m. carry or if he simply needed to get some reps in earlier than a recreation, Harbaugh was typically lifting on the College of Michigan weight room with the group, and never in exercise garments.

“He is in there understanding in khakis, in a polo, in a cap, footwear,” former Michigan defensive lineman Kris Jenkins stated.

Jenkins stated Harbaugh did not skimp on the burden he was lifting both, typically placing 225 kilos on the bench press whereas gamers watched in awe.

“He shocked us,” Jenkins stated. “We have been saying, ‘Yeah, that is our coach.'”

Flags fly ceaselessly

Earlier than Harbaugh arrived, San Diego had received one recreation in opposition to its largest rival, the College of Dayton, since becoming a member of the Pioneer Soccer League in 1993. Harbaugh received his first matchup of 2004 38-35, with a game-sealing interception by Bakhtiari, who dropped into protection to select off Dayton quarterback Brandon Staley — the Chargers’ former coach who was fired in December, and whom Harbaugh would substitute.

After the win, Harbaugh determined he wanted so as to add stakes to this rivalry. So with out consulting the opposing head coach, Harbaugh purchased a flag and designed it so it was Dayton purple on one facet and San Diego blue on the opposite. He determined that the groups would play for the flag annually, including the ultimate rating to the flag after every recreation.

San Diego ran out with the flag forward of its matchup the next 12 months, with the 38-35 rating written a lot to the confusion of the Dayton gamers. In 2005, San Diego received 48-24.

“And Harbo goes to their coach, ‘Oh, by the way in which, we made this flag. That is what we’re enjoying for yearly. We clearly get to maintain it as a result of we have received two years in a row now,'” Bakhtiari stated. “And the coach is confused and like, ‘Properly I am going to have to consider it, Coach.'”

San Diego would beat Dayton once more the next 12 months, earlier than Harbaugh left for Stanford after three seasons. With out Harbaugh the next 12 months, San Diego misplaced for the primary time in 4 matchups. It was the ultimate time the groups performed for the flag.

“They got here and ripped the flag off our sidelines,” Bakhtiari stated, laughing. “And I believe it is like in somebody’s storage now. They by no means find yourself enjoying for it once more. They have been so mad. Nevertheless it was cool, man, he artificially created this trophy recreation, but it surely received us all pumped up. We have been all about that flag.”

Shake on it

The largest recreation of Harbaugh’s first season as 49ers coach in 2011 got here in Week 6 in opposition to the Detroit Lions. The 49ers have been 4-1, and the Lions have been 5-0.

Harbaugh assured his group it will beat Detroit and stated that he would shake Lions coach Jim Schwartz’s hand at midfield postgame as onerous as he presumably might, former tight finish Delanie Walker remembered.

Harbaugh stated in a current interview that he and Schwartz did not have any prior points, however that one began throughout the recreation when he felt that Schwartz was insulting him. Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford threw a landing go to extensive receiver Brandon Pettigrew within the first quarter that Harbaugh stated wasn’t a authorized catch.

All touchdowns are reviewed by officers, however Harbaugh threw his problem flag anyway, leading to an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Not solely did the landing stand, however the Niners have been penalized 15 yards. Schwartz waved his arms for the gang to get loud and yelled over at Harbaugh to “know the principles.”

“And so possibly I took a bit of offense to that,” Harbaugh stated with a smile. “The onerous handshake was in response to that.”

After the 49ers received 25-19, Harbaugh leaped and waved his fist within the air earlier than giving Schwartz a agency handshake at midfield accompanied by a slap on the again.

Schwartz got here charging after Harbaugh, and gamers from each groups adopted to separate and defend their coaches.

“Dudes was able to get suspended for him,” Walker stated. “You’ll be able to watch the movie and see that like, we was prepared. That is the way you knew the love was actual.”

Harbaugh has since stated he was too aggressive on the handshake and regrets that second. However within the locker room after the on-field scuffle, Harbaugh and the group celebrated the win — and the handshake.

“Jim was going nuts, saying, ‘Yeah, I advised y’all I used to be going to do it,'” Walker remembered. “Everyone was screaming and going loopy. It was huge. We have been so excited. It gave us chills.”

‘You might be Shea f—ing Patterson’

Quarterback Shea Patterson transferred to the College of Michigan in 2018 for an opportunity to compete for a nationwide championship in his last two collegiate seasons.

However in 2019, Patterson’s senior 12 months, his confidence dissipated as he struggled initially of the season. In Michigan’s first recreation in opposition to Center Tennessee State, he fumbled twice and was booed by followers on the Wolverine’s dwelling stadium.

Via their first 5 video games of the season, Patterson had thrown for six touchdowns and three interceptions, and Michigan misplaced to Wisconsin, a success to its postseason hopes. The strain on Harbaugh to make a change at quarterback mounted, and Patterson felt it.

Harbaugh sat in on a quarterbacks assembly forward of the group’s subsequent recreation in opposition to Illinois. Harbaugh reminded Patterson that he should not overlook “you’re Shea f—ing Patterson,” reiterating his perception within the quarterback.

The dialog was transient, Patterson remembered, but it surely was all he wanted. He threw three landing passes and no interceptions in opposition to Illinois and completed the season tossing 14 landing passes and 4 interceptions over the ultimate seven video games.

“He has a very good knack of getting folks to play to their finest skill whatever the circumstances,” Patterson stated. “He sees the glass half full. Simply that little little bit of spark of confidence that he gave me fully turned my season round. He helped me flip the swap from being in that darkish, unfavorable place to remembering who I used to be.”

The backup quarterback

Walker tells the story as if he’s nonetheless on the San Francisco 49ers’ observe discipline, watching a quarterback he hadn’t seen earlier than sporting No. 4 warming up.

It was an odd day for the group lengthy earlier than this second. They have been advised that Harbaugh would not be at observe and weren’t given a cause. Quarterback Alex Smith was coping with an harm, and never having him or Harbaugh at observe throughout a recreation week made some gamers nervous.

As Walker and the remainder of the group headed out to the observe discipline and noticed a participant sporting No. 4, they assumed the group had signed a quarterback due to Smith’s harm.

Once they received nearer, they realized that the participant was truly their coach. Clad in 49ers observe gear with throwback ankle-high Apex cleats, Harbaugh greeted gamers as if this was customary process and went by way of observe and conditioning together with his group.

“That made folks notice he is considered one of us,” Walker stated. “I believe all the fellows purchased into that and that is what I believe made them notice like he’s for us, not in opposition to us. And you already know, dudes actually begin falling in love with him then.”