Jim Harbaugh on leaving Michigan for NFL: ‘There’s no Lombardi Trophy in college football’

As his brother John Harbaugh was preparing to coach the Baltimore Ravens in Sunday’s AFC championship game, Jim Harbaugh briefly stole the collective attention of the NFL world on Wednesday when he left Michigan to become the next coach of the Los Angeles Chargers.

While such a move to the NFL had loomed as a possibility for years, and with speculation mounting over the past several weeks, Harbaugh had just led the Wolverines to their first national championship since 1997 earlier this month.

Why would he leave his alma mater after such a momentous accomplishment and with the program well-positioned for many more wins in the years to come? For Harbaugh, the answer was relatively straightforward.

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“There’s no Lombardi Trophy in college football,” Harbaugh said in an interview with CBS’ pregame show ahead of the Ravens’ AFC championship game matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs. “I’ve got so many sands left in the hourglass. I want to take a crack at that. There’s nowhere better to do it than with the Los Angeles Chargers.”

Jim Harbaugh talks about taking the Chargers job — as well as AFC Championship memories with Bill Cowher — during an appearance on CBS’ NFL Today. 🏈🎙️ pic.twitter.com/SfjHvVJAAg

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 28, 2024

Harbaugh, who was at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore to cheer on his brother, described the decision to leave Michigan as “tough,” adding that he was “torn.”

Ultimately, though, the lure of the NFL and the opportunity to win a Super Bowl proved to be too much.

Harbaugh is among the most decorated figures ever who have coached at the college and professional levels, though for all he accomplished in his first NFL go-around — going…


Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/jim-harbaugh-leaving-michigan-nfl-201646984.html

Author : Detroit Free Press

Publish date : 2024-01-28 20:16:46

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