Many LA Chargers fans want to see the team move on from head coach Brandon Staley after the season despite the fact that the team is 4-4 and could make a run at the NFL Playoffs. The Chargers have been too inconsistent under Staley and a large portion of the fanbase believes it is time for change.
Much like Sean Payton last year, the fanbase has latched onto one potential head coaching target as the guy for the Chargers to bring in next season. That is none other than Jim Harbaugh, who has not coached in the NFL since leaving the San Francisco 49ers.
Harbaugh has built something special with the Michigan Football program and him making the leap back to the NFL was never a guarantee. It does not matter how well he would potentially fit with Justin Herbert on the Chargers; if he didn't want to leave Michigan it was never going to be an option.
Well, the chances of Harbaugh leaving Michigan and returning to the NFL just grew substantially. Amidst an investigation centered around potential sign stealing in Michigan, the Big Ten is reportedly disciplining Harbaugh and prohibiting him from coaching on the sidelines for the rest of the season.
Breaking: The Big Ten is expected to discipline Michigan for the in-person scouting and sign stealing investigation and will prohibit Jim Harbaugh from being on the sideline for the rest of the regular season, sources told @PeteThamel.
— ESPN (@espn) November 10, 2023
He'll be allowed to coach during the week. pic.twitter.com/dMzRU4zXow
Michigan released a statement and will fight the suspension to try and get Harbaugh back on the sidelines. Regardless, it may not bode well for his future in the NCAA.
Jim Harbaugh is now a real Chargers head coach candidate after suspension
With this baffling suspension now on the table, the odds of Harbaugh jumping to the NFL feel incredibly high. If Harbaugh is going to make the leap to the NFL it won't just be for any bad team with no future (looking at you, Denver!), it will be for a team that has legitimate Super Bowl potential.
And that team is the LA Chargers, who absolutely can win a Super Bowl with the right head coach piloting Justin Herbert. Harbaugh also has connections to the Chargers as a former quarterback of the team, making this a potential homecoming that makes a lot of sense.
Even though the Chargers historically don't spend much on head coaches, it feels like this is Harbaugh's job to have if he truly wants it. The only thing that could block it from happening is if the Chargers go on a run and make the playoffs.
Even then, it might take one or two playoff wins for the Chargers to keep Staley around, especially if Harbaugh guarantees interest in the job. It is not unheard of for an NFL team to make a move like this. Tennessee fired Mike Malarkey after he made the playoffs and won a playoff game in 2017.
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