Jim Harbaugh was tied to the open Chargers head coaching job before his Michigan Wolverines won the National Championship. With this accomplishment fresh in the rear-view mirror, Harbaugh has firmly emerged as the fanbase's favorite potential head coaching candidate in 2024.
Hiring Harbaugh is going to be an uphill climb. Not only do the Chargers have to compete with the Raiders (who Harbaugh has ties to) but the team also has to compete with him simply returning to Michigan. On paper, the Chargers make a lot of sense for Harbaugh but reality is not on paper.
The Chargers need to prepare for a situation in which Harbaugh chooses not to coach in LA. If that is the case, here are the best potential candidates the Bolts can hire instead.
Chargers non-Jim Harbaugh head coaching options, ranked:
5. Dan Quinn
Dan Quinn is higher on many people's lists and quite frankly, he is one of the most likely hires the Chargers can make this offseason. On paper it could make a lot of sense as Quinn can come in, reunite with Kellen Moore and maintain that offense so Justin Herbert does not have to undergo another play-caller change.
But there are concerns about Quinn that should not be ignored. He is a lifetime .500 head coach who has the worst loss in the history of the sport in the Super Bowl. Not only that, but when he was a head coach he only had one top-10 defense and several in the bottom 10.
He is a coach who has thrived as a defensive coordinator when he has elite players like Richard Sherman and Micah Parsons but struggled to build something as a head coach. Who does that sound like?
What Quinn has accomplished in Dallas is great but the Chargers shouldn't bypass better candidates simply because Quinn has head-coaching experience. But because he is so likely, he makes the cut at the No. 5 spot.