Chargers hire Jim Harbaugh: How ex-Michigan boss compares to other college football coaches who made NFL jump

Jim Harbaugh, who is off to lead the Los Angeles Chargers after winning a national championship with Michigan, is walking an increasingly rare path by jumping from college to the NFL. Since 2014, he is just the third sitting college football head coach to be hired in the same role by a professional team. 

This isn’t new for Harbaugh, though. He left Stanford for the San Francisco 49ers in 2011 and embarked on a four-year journey that saw him lead the franchise to three straight playoff berths in the first three years of his tenure. The 49ers reached Super Bowl 47 and had a 5-3 overall postseason record with Harbaugh running the show . 

The franchise eventually parted ways with Harbaugh, which led to his hiring at Michigan in 2014 and the subsequent steady build towards the top of the mountain. San Francisco, meanwhile, didn’t return to the playoffs until 2019. 

This to say, Harbaugh is a rare breed. Since 2000, 13 college coaches have been hired by the NFL. Eight of them lasted no more than three seasons at a single stop. In that span, former college coaches boast an overall record of 405-429-3 — not terrible on the surface, but made significantly worse with the added context that 10 of those coaches finished their NFL careers with a losing record. 

Butch Davis

Miami (1995-2000)

Cleveland Browns (2001-04)

24-35

Steve Spurrier

Duke (1987-89); Florida (1990-2001)

Washington Redskins (2002-03)

12-20

Nick Saban

Michigan State (1995-99), LSU (2000-04)

Miami Dolphins (2005-06)

15-17

Bobby Petrino

Louisville (2003-06)

Atlanta Falcons (2007)

3-10

Pete Carroll

USC (2001-09)

Seattle Seahawks (2010-23)

137-89-1

Jim Harbaugh

Stanford (2007-10)

San Francisco 49ers (2011-14)

44-19-1

Greg Schiano

Rutgers (2001-11)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2012-13)

11-21

Doug Marrone

Syracuse…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/chargers-hire-jim-harbaugh-how-ex-michigan-boss-compares-to-other-college-football-coaches-who-made-nfl-jump/

Author : Will Backus

Publish date : 2024-01-25 17:45:12

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