Chargers News: Grade For Jim Harbaugh Hire Revealed
With all but one NFL coaching vacancy filled, CBS Sports assigned grades to all the coaching hires. A whopping eight NFL teams decided to switch head coaches this season, and all but the Washington Commanders have made their selection.
The good news for the Chargers is they've earned an "A" for their hiring of Jim Harbaugh. Chargers fans now have bragging rights for not only being the team to land Harbaugh, but the only team to earn an "A" in this season's hiring cycle. All the other hires earned a B+ or below, according to the grades from CBS Sports.
What separates Harbaugh from the other coaches is his proven track record in both the NFL and in college football. Sure some of the other hires have a strong reputation as a coordinator -- including new Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald and new Tennessee Titans coach Brian Callahan, but none of these hires have accomplished what Harbaugh has.
Harbaugh has taken his previous NFL team, the San Francisco 49ers, to three consecutive NFC Championship Games and a Super Bowl appearance. He then turned Michigan football into one of college football's best programs, and led them to a national championship win.
In addition to his teams' overall success, he's also conducted immediate turnarounds and been a quarterback whisperer to players like Andrew Luck, Colin Kaepernick, and Alex Smith. This also makes this hire appealing and grade well since he will be teaming up with Justin Herbert, which looks to be a strong fit.
Overall, Harbaugh's reputation and experience at a coach at many different levels makes it no surprise that Harbaugh earned the highest grade and the lone "A" of any of the 2024 NFL coaching hires.
