Ex-Chicago Bears QB & Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, Chargers reportedly within 'striking distance' of deal

The 2024 Jim Harbaugh sweepstakes may be nearing its end.

Weeks after he led Michigan to its first undisputed college football national title in 75 years, Harbaugh is reportedly within "striking distance" of a deal that would bring him back to the NFL and to the West Coast to become the next head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers.

The news was first reported by NFL Media.

This is the third straight head coaching cycle in which Harbaugh interviewed with NFL teams. He interviewed for the Minnesota Vikings job that went to Kevin O'Connell in 2022 and the Denver Broncos job that went to Sean Payton in 2023. Harbaugh also interviewed with the Atlanta Falcons in recent days.

NFL Media reports the Chargers made an "extremely strong offer financially" to Harbaugh and that the team and coach are discussing potential front-office executives and other coaches who could fill out his staff.

Harbaugh would be the rare head coach making the jump from college to the professional ranks after already establishing a strong track record in the NFL. After landing the San Francisco 49ers job in 2011, Harbaugh took a franchise that had failed to record a winning season in nine years and led them to three straight NFC Championship Games, including a Super Bowl appearance after the 2012 season in which the Niners lost to a Baltimore Ravens squad coached by Jim's older brother John Harbaugh.

im Harbaugh went 44-19 in the regular season with the 49ers before leaving to coach his alma mater, Michigan, in 2015. He could be entering a desirable situation with the Chargers, who boast a talented, veteran-heavy roster led by a star quarterback in Justin Herbert. L.A. reached the playoffs only once in three years under previous head coach Brandon Staley, however. 

That appearance ended with the Chargers blowing a 27-0 lead in last year's wild-card round against the Jacksonville Jaguars. L.A. sunk to 5-12 this season, with Staley and general manager Tom Telesco fired Dec. 15, one day after the club suffered a 63-21 blowout loss to the Raiders.

The Chargers were heavily connected to Harbaugh even before he led Michigan to a 15-0 mark and its first outright national title since 1948. Los Angeles has also interviewed several general manager candidates with past ties to Harbaugh, as well as former Stanford coach and Harbaugh assistant David Shaw for its head coaching vacancy.

The Chargers have the No. 5 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh speaks to the media following the CFP National Championship against the Washington Huskies on Jan. 8, 2024, at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

If the hire is finalized, the Wolverines would then need to turn to the unenviable task of not only seeing several key players depart for the professional ranks but also the man who led the program to its greatest triumph in the modern college football era. 

Offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore has emerged as a strong candidate to be promoted to replace Harbaugh, according to FOX Sports' Bruce Feldman. As acting head coach, Moore led Michigan to wins in the final three games of the Wolverines' 2023 regular season, including at Penn State and against archrival Ohio State, while Harbaugh served a three-game suspension from the Big Ten due to the fallout from the NCAA's investigation into alleged in-person advance scouting for sign-stealing purposes by former staffer Connor Stalions.

FOX Sports lead college football analyst Joel Klatt asserted on a recent edition of "The Joel Klatt Show" that Moore would be the front-runner for the head coach job at Michigan if Harbaugh did indeed leave for the NFL.

"[Moore] was basically the head coach for the bulk of that stretch run," Klatt said. "Sherrone is 1-0 against Ohio State. … In the event that [Harbaugh leaves], Michigan is going to have to replace their quarterback [J.J. McCarthy] and several key pieces."

Michigan could also face NCAA-imposed sanctions due to the Stalions sign-stealing scandal.