Los Angeles (AFP) – Jim Harbaugh was named as the new head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers on Wednesday, weeks after leading the University of Michigan to the US collegiate crown.
Harbaugh, the younger brother of Baltimore Ravens head coach Jim Harbaugh, fills the vacancy created by last month’s sacking of Brandon Staley in the wake of the Chargers’ 63-point defeat to Las Vegas.
The 60-year-old Harbaugh has spent the past nine years in US college gridiron with Michigan, leading the Wolverines on an unbeaten 15-0 march to the national college championship earlier this month.
Wednesday’s appointment marks a homecoming of sorts for Harbaugh, who played for the Chargers as quarterback for two seasons from 1999-2000.
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“Jim Harbaugh is football personified, and I can think of no one better to lead the Chargers forward,” Chargers owner Dean Spanos said in a statement.
“For the past two decades Jim has led hundreds of men to success everywhere he’s been — as their coach.And today, Jim Harbaugh returns to the Chargers, this time as our coach.Who has it better than us?”
Chargers president of football operations John Spanos said of Harbaugh: “His former players swear by him, and his opponents swear at him…we couldn’t be more excited to have him back in the Chargers organization as our head coach.”
Harbaugh will be returning to the NFL after a decade-long absence.
He coached the San Francsico 49ers for four seasons between 2011 and 2014, leading the franchise to three NFC Championship Games and an appearance in the Super Bowl in the 2012-2013 season.
Harbaugh’s 49ers were beaten 34-31 by a Baltimore side coached by his brother John, the first time two brothers have coached against each other in a Super Bowl, a game that was dubbed the “Har-bowl”.
