Jim Harbaugh met with the LA Chargers for a second time on Tuesday afternoon and all signs are pointing to him being the team's next head coach. While nothing is yet official, the two sides are reportedly in "striking distance" after weeks of speculation that Harbaugh would return to the NFL.
Many fans thought that they would hear the great news of Harbaugh being hired on Tuesday night after the meeting. As is the case with every decision Harbaugh makes, it is going to take more time than that as nothing has been reported at the time of writing this on Wednesday.
That being said, the Chargers may have unintentionally confirmed that Harbaugh was going to be hired by the next person they interviewed after Harbaugh. The team will reportedly meet with New York Giants assistant GM Brandon Brown for a second time on Wednesday. This is significant, as Brown has been highlighted as someone with a "good relationship" with Harbaugh.
@AlbertBreer again today on @TheHerd
— Charlie Sinclair (@cmsinclar) January 12, 2024
Jim Harbaugh to the Chargers
interesting nugget! ⚡️
New York Giants Assistant GM Brandon Brown (who was interviewed yesterday by LAC) has a relationship with Jim Harbaugh and this could be the HC/GM pairing pic.twitter.com/9JoWZWuscJ
Chargers may have unintentionally confirmed Jim Harbaugh hire with Brandon Brown interview
This is not to say that the Chargers and Harbaugh have already signed an agreement and that it has not been reported yet. However, this is a really good sign that the Chargers probably feel really great about where they stand with Harbaugh after the second interview. Nothing is official, but this is a good sign that the Bolts are confident it will happen.
Harbaugh's ties to Brown are a bit unclear as the two have never worked together in any capacity but the football world is a brotherhood. Harbaugh can have a relationship with someone without having worked with them, and that may be the case with Brown.
If Harbaugh is going to take the Chargers job he is undoubtedly going to want some say over roster construction and who is brought in as GM. Having that relationship with Brown makes him an obvious candidate, as does Ed Dodds, who has worked with Harbaugh in the past.
Brown and Dodds (who already interviewed a second time and was passed on for Tom Telesco by the Las Vegas Raiders) appear to be the two favorites for the GM job in Los Angeles. Regardless of which of the two gets hired, it is a good sign in the Bolts' potential pursuit of Harbaugh.
Chargers fans must continue to cross their fingers as the news may be coming any day now. But even before it is official, it is hard not to love the Bolts' chances.