The University of Michigan may be Jim Harbaugh's alma mater, but before he returned to Ann Arbor in 2015 to coach the Wolverines, Harbaugh had previously done all of his coaching on the West Coast. Now, less than a week after leading the Michigan Wolverines to their first National Championship since 1997, Jim Harbaugh now seems to have his sights set on an NFL return… and potentially a return to California.

“Sources say it's believed the Chargers will speak next week with Harbaugh, who has indicated to associates there's a real possibility he could leave the University of Michigan to become Los Angeles' head coach,” according to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network on Saturday. Rapoport confirmed Sunday that Harbaugh has a Chargers meeting set for some time this upcoming week.

Jim Harbaugh's California history

Jim Harbaugh got his first head coaching opportunity at the University of San Diego, where he led the Toreros to back-t0-back Pioneer Football League titles in 2005 and 2006. From there, Harbaugh traveled north up to Stanford, where in 2010 he led the Cardinal to their first season with at least 10 wins since 1992, complete with an Orange Bowl victory over Virginia Tech. Then Harbaugh was off to the NFL, where he led the San Francisco 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance in his second season. In four years as the 49ers head coach, his record was 44-19-1.

The Chargers option

It's fitting that the next stop for Harbaugh would be Los Angeles, and there's plenty to be attracted to when it comes to the Chargers job. In Justin Herbert, Harbaugh would already have his franchise quarterback in place. The allure of playing in Southern California would theoretically help bring in notable free agents, especially if Harbaugh can quickly turn the Chargers fortunes around. With only one Super Bowl appearance in the team's history, if Harbaugh were to take the Chargers to the promised land, he would instantaneously become a Chargers legend, and who knows, maybe his arrival and impending success would help the Chargers carve out a little bit more of a fanbase in LA.

Michigan isn't expected to go down without a fight, and there's a very real possibility that all NFL teams with head coaching openings would attempt to make Harbaugh an offer he couldn't refuse, so it's far from a sure thing that the Chargers have their man.