Wherever Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh has gone, he’s made them a winner. But has Harbaugh ever won on the biggest stage in the world?
Jim Harbaugh Wins Games
Harbaugh’s first stint as an NFL head coach came from 2011 to 2014 when he left the Stanford Cardinal to coach the San Francisco 49ers. Harbaugh’s 49ers won the division in each of his first two seasons and made the playoffs as a Wild Card team in his third. In 2014, San Francisco failed to make the playoffs.
The 2011 season was meant to be a rebuilding season for the 49ers, and as a result, expectations were tempered. However, Harbaugh burst onto the scene with a 13-3 record, securing San Francisco its first playoff bid since 2002.
The 49ers went 2-1 in the playoffs, losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants. For his efforts, Harbaugh earned Coach of the Year honors.
In 2012, Harbaugh promoted backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick to the starting role, and all of his decisions, including this one, led the 49ers to back-to-back NFC West titles. San Francisco put on a stellar offensive display against both Green Bay and Atlanta to earn the right to face his brother, John Harbaugh, and the Baltimore Ravens in the Super Bowl.
In Harbaugh’s third year, the 49ers were 12-4 and earned their third straight appearance in the playoffs and the NFC Championship. This time, however, they lost to the Seattle Seahawks, who went on to win the Super Bowl as well.
Harbaugh became the first head coach to make the conference championship game in each of his first three seasons in his San Francisco tenure. That tenure came to an end, however, after an 8-8 season in which he failed to make the playoffs.
Following this season, Harbaugh returned to college to coach the Michigan Wolverines. But then after an extremely successful tenure at Michigan, which included a national championship, he returned to the NFL this past season to become the Chargers’ HC.
With Harbaugh at the helm, the Chargers have secured a berth in the playoffs. The story of how this season will end is yet to be written, but I am confident that Los Angeles will view getting quarterback Justin Herbert another shot at the playoffs as a success.
As it stands, Harbaugh has had one of the best coaching careers in NFL history, with a .685 win percentage, and he’ll look to improve on his career 5-3 NFL playoff record against the Houston Texans on Wild Card Weekend.
Has Harbaugh Ever Won a Super Bowl?
No, while Harbaugh has had immense success in the regular season, he has yet to hoist a Lombardi Trophy. Against his brother and the Ravens, Harbaugh and the 49ers fell short in their comeback effort in Super Bowl 47.
As mentioned, Harbaugh did lead Michigan to the CFP National Championship in the year before his move back to the NFL, with the Wolverines handily defeating the Washington Huskies, 34-13.
The Chargers and their fans hope that his success at Michigan can translate to bringing them their first Super Bowl title in franchise history.