How many college football coaches have left after winning title like Jim Harbaugh did

Jim Harbaugh made history on Monday, becoming the first college football coach to move to the NFL directly after winning a national championship.

When Harbaugh signed on as the next head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers,, he became the fifth coach in the AP poll era (since 1936) to leave the program immediately after winning the national championship.

When he arrived, Harbaugh promised he would restore Michigan football to its previous glory after a long stretch of down years, and he was able to turn the ship around in his final three seasons, culminating in three straight Big Ten championships and College Football Playoffs appearances, and a national title in his final game as coach.

Now, Harbaugh will be chasing glory at the professional level with a team he played for during his career. He came up just short of winning a Super Bowl in his first time as a coach in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers, losing to his brother John and the Baltimore Ravens in the 2013 Super Bowl, and will give it another go with a different California team.

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh lifts the AFCA Coaches’ Trophy during the national championship celebration at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024.

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If successful, Harbaugh could become just the fourth coach ever to win a college national championship and Super Bowl as a coach, joining Barry Switzer (Oklahoma and Cowboys), Jimmy Johnson (Miami and Cowboys), and Pete Carroll (USC and Seahawks).

Here is a look back at the other coaches who left their college program immediately after reaching the summit and winning a national title.

Bernie Bierman (Minnesota, 1941)

The first coach to leave in the offseason in the AP era after ending the season at No. 1 was Bernie…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/many-college-football-coaches-left-173845299.html

Author : Detroit Free Press

Publish date : 2024-01-25 17:38:45

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