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Just as he signed with the Los Angeles Chargers after leaving his national championship-winning Michigan Wolverines team earlier this year, as many expected he would, the belief was that Jim Harbaugh would turn this NFL team around like he has every other team he’s coached. And they were right. The Chargers are looking the best they’ve looked in years and have become a real threat for opponents. And it’s just Year 1 for Harbaugh.
Early indications were that Harbaugh would be an easy candidate for Coach of the Year. Yet, then came along the likes of Washington Commanders’ Dan Quinn, Detroit Lions’ Dan Campbell, Pittsburgh Steelers’ Mike Tomlin, or even Minnesota Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell, who now have better odds.
There’s, of course, a good—if not great—argument for each one, and probably more. But there’s also one that puts Jim Harbaugh atop that list.
The Chargers current record under Jim Harbaugh
With just five games remaining in the 2024 schedule, the Chargers are sitting at 8-4 and second in the AFC West, right behind the Kansas City Chiefs. Already, the Chargers have surpassed their win total from last season by three games. They’re one win away from matching 2021’s record and bettering the two previous seasons before that.
Since 2004, the Chargers have only earned double-digit win seasons six times. They’ve made the playoffs just seven times—only three times since 2013. While anything can happen with five games remaining, there’s a good chance Harbaugh can get this team into double-digit wins and a playoff berth.
Granted, they do have a tough stretch ahead, going on the road in Week 14 to face the Chiefs, then back at home against the Buccaneers and Broncos before ending on the road against the Patriots and Raiders. But sitting with the No. 5 seed currently in the AFC playoff picture, they’re in good shape for a postseason run.
The best of Justin Herbert
Since Justin Herbert came into the league in 2020, everyone has just kept saying, “Wait until he breaks out,” or “Wait until he gets the right coach.” When Harbaugh signed, everyone’s eyes immediately focused on the fifth-year quarterback, saying, “It’s now or never.”
If anyone was going to bring the best out of Herbert, it was going to be Jim Harbaugh, and that’s exactly what he’s done. With an offensive reset focused on running the ball, Harbaugh has taken some of the stress off Herbert and, in turn, elevated his game. Though Herbert’s completion percentage has dropped from last season’s 65.1 to 63.4 this season, virtually all of his other statistics have improved.
Herbert has thrown just one interception this season. He’s thrown 10 or more every season prior, except for last year when he threw seven in 13 games. His yards per attempt are up from 6.9 to 7.6, and yards per catch are up from 10.6 to 12.0. His passer rating finished at 93.2 last year, and this year it’s up to 98.2. All this is happening despite a restructured offensive line, as his sack percentage has increased to 8.70 from last year’s 5.98, with Herbert being sacked 32 times this year compared to 29 last year.
Will this be the best Justin Herbert we see? Likely not. With roster restructuring this season, Harbaugh and his staff are just getting started building this team to their liking. But the improvements already shown in less than a year are impressive, with Herbert at the forefront of that.
Chargers have avoided being blown out
When teams go through transition phases, even in the NFL, they’re bound to suffer one or two lopsided losses. That just hasn’t happened for the Chargers this season under Harbaugh.
In three of Los Angeles’ four losses, they’ve come against two division leaders in the Chiefs and Steelers, and the other against the No. 2 team in the AFC North, the Ravens, coached by his brother John. Only against the Steelers were they beaten by more than one score, and that was all the way back in Week 3.
It may not always be pretty. Sometimes, it’s just opportunistic. But Harbaugh finds ways to put his team in position to win—just like last week against the Atlanta Falcons. The Chargers were outdone in just about every category in that game, except the turnover battle, where they picked off Kirk Cousins four times to seal the win.
Chargers have overcome injuries
No one is going to feel sorry for teams that are beat up and hurting. That’s every team this time of year, with the Chargers being no exception. All season long, the team has had to overcome injuries to some of their top players, including Justin Herbert, Joey Bosa, J.K. Dobbins, who is on injured reserve, and now Ladd McConkey.
Considering the type of schedule the Chargers have faced this season—coming into the year with the second-toughest schedule in the NFL—winning eight games with an often-depleted roster is remarkable and points to the coaching prowess Harbaugh has brought to Los Angeles.
There’s still time for the voting, with plenty of opportunities for Harbaugh and other coaches to stand out from one another. However, what Harbaugh is doing with this team—one that a previous staff couldn’t—shows just how valuable he is. That’s why he should be a frontrunner for the NFL’s Coach of the Year.
