Chargers QB Justin HerbertAndy Cross/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty ImagesThough Harbaugh hasn't been an NFL coach since the 2014 season, he was arguably the biggest prize of this year's hiring cycle. Fresh off a national title with the Michigan Wolverines, Harbaugh has proved that he can find success at any level.
In his last NFL stint with the San Francisco 49ers, Harbaugh found that success quickly. San Francisco was in the NFC title game in Harbaugh's first season and in the Super Bowl in Year 2.
That track record is great news for the Los Angeles Chargers and, specifically, for quarterback Justin Herbert.
Herbert has flashed plenty of talent during his first four NFL seasons. He was Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2020, a Pro Bowler in 2021 and a playoff starter in 2022. However, the Chargers have struggled to put a championship-caliber team around Herbert—something Harbaugh knows exactly how to accomplish.
And Harbaugh is eager to put Los Angeles on a championship path.
"I love Michigan, but I love the NFL too," Harbaugh said on NFL on CBS (beginning at the 16-second mark). "There's no Lombardi Trophy in college football."
Harbaugh also has a track record of developing quarterbacks. He won with both Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick in San Francisco and helped develop Andrew Luck at Stanford. More recently, he has helped develop Michigan's J.J. McCarthy into a potential high draft pick.
The entire Chargers organization and its fanbase should be excited to have Harbaugh in the fold. However, Herbert is the big winner because his career may be set to take a significant and positive arc.
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