Jim Harbaugh credits forgotten-about coach as architect of Chargers offense

Jim Harbaugh took the LA Chargers job this offseason to help kickstart a new era that will hopefully have much more success than previous years. With him, Harbaugh brought a robust coaching staff that is already getting rave reviews and looks far better than last year's staff early on.

If there was one new coach who Chargers fans was weary about when he was hired it was offensive coordinator Greg Roman. Roman's previous stint as Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator did not create an offense Chargers fans were excited for. However, the early returns in training camp seem to be very positive.

Plus, Roman is not alone in building out an offensive gameplan as he has other great coaches around him. One of those coaches, who Chargers fans may have forgotten about, is Marc Trestman. Trestman was hired as a senior offensive assistant this offseason after spending seven years away from the NFL.

That absence has not lessened Trestman's importance to the Chargers as he is very influential. Just ask Harbaugh, who called Trestman the architect of the offense this season.

Jim Harbaugh lauds Marc Trestman as the architect of the Chargers' offense

Trestman obviously has a big say on the Chargers' offense this season even if he only has an assistant tab. Harbaugh and Roman turning to Trestman and relying on him to be influential makes sense as he has NFL coaching experience dating back to 1985.

Of course, the hope is that Trestman's idea of what an NFL offense is has evolved as the game has evolved around him. His last job in the league didn't necessarily go as planned as the Baltimore Ravens ranked 25th and 21st in points scored in 2015 and 2016 when Trestman was the offensive coordinator. They ranked eighth the year before he was there and ninth the year after he left.

Prior to that, Trestman had a stint as the Chicago Bears head coach in 2013 and 2014. Chicago went a combined 13-19 under Trestman's guidance. The offense was great in 2013 as it ranked second in the league in points scored (after ranking 16th in 2012). However, in 2014, the Bears dropped to 23rd.

The most recent NFL tenure NFL jobs for Trestman may not have gone very well but he is still someone who knows how important Justin Herbert is and how far he can take the team. Before joining the Chargers staff, Trestman was on the record praising Herbert and calling him a top-five quarterback in the league.

The hope now is that Trestman can help Herbert regain top-five production with his fingerprints all over this team's offense. And for the Chargers' sake, Trestman's return to the NFL will hopefully be much better than his last two jobs.

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