Amidst Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert ascension to elite stardom, head coach Jim Harbaugh received his flowers for playing a significant role. While most mention former NFL head coaches such as Bill Belichick, Bill Wash, and Vince Lombardi as the three greatest in league history, Fox Sports 1's Colin Cowherd is throwing Harbaugh into the conversation.
While NCAA and the NFL have their own respective Hall of Fame to honor the greatest players and head coaches, Harbaugh could make a case as the greatest football head coach ever, according to Cowherd, he said, per Fox Sports 1's The Herd.
“If you combined it like basketball, and there was a Football Hall of Fame — you can count college and pro — I would make an argument today: The greatest coach in the history of football is not Bill Belichick, or Bill Walsh, or Vince Lombardi. It's Jim Harbaugh. The greatest coach ever,” Cowherd said. “Think about this: he's never failed. He's 5-for-5 at San Diego, Stanford, San Francisco 49ers, Michigan, and the Chargers. He's never failed. Saben and Urban; unbelievable college legends, struggled in the NFL.
“He's also not tied to a single player. What's Belichick without Brady? Not great. The only person that kind of compares to him is Jimmy Johnson.”
"I would make an argument today: The greatest coach in the history of football is not Bill Belichick, or Bill Walsh, or Vince Lombardi. It's Jim Harbaugh."@colincowherd makes the case for Harbaugh to be in the greatest coach ever conversation pic.twitter.com/yRDabAlcIj
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) September 17, 2025
Jim Harbaugh's impact on Justin Herbert, Chargers
Ahead of the 2024 NFL season, the Chargers hired head coach Jim Harbaugh, which changed starting quarterback Justin Herbert's trajectory into one of the league's elite QBs, according to Fox Sports 1's Colin Cowherd.
For Cowherd, it's Harbaugh's impact as a former QB making the difference, which trickled down to the defensive end of the field, as well.
“Harbaugh takes stuff and one day it's Bar Rescue and the next day it's Michelin star,” Cowherd added. “It's amazing to watch Justin Herbert. We all knew Justin Herbert was good. It wasn't a matter of that. But if you look at Justin Herbert's last three seasons with Brandon Stanley, he'd become an average quarterback. 93 passer rating. If you look at the last two seasons, 20 games, 19 games with Jim Harbaugh, he's in running for the best quarterback in the league.
“And now, Jim was a quarterback. So, he's really good at that. But the defense was last. It's now first. College and pro,” Cowherd concluded.
The Chargers will host the Broncos in Week 3 on Sunday.
