Making sense of Chargers targeting Jim Harbaugh, elite coaches to follow?

Jan 29, 2024

When the Los Angeles Chargers cleaned house after 11 years with GM Tom Telesco, it left a gaping hole in the organization.

At a time when plenty of big fish names surfaced after the firings of the GOAT Bill Belichick (New England Patriots), Seattle Seahawks XLVIII Super Bowl winner Pete Carroll, and the emergence of Michigan 2023 National Champion head coach Jim Harbaugh, I thought those three would all be ideal fits for the organization simply because of one word--”power.”

Belichick & Carroll were not one-trick ponies. In fact, during their respective tenures with the respective teams they coached, they were also the de-facto GM. This was something Harbaugh struggled with in San Francisco.

A power struggle that caused friction between ownership, management, and personnel. How do I know? I was there first-hand witnessing it all as my office was there covering the team as a San Francisco 49ers beat writer/reporter.

Not to mention, the close relationships I’ve made over the years, it was no secret that if Harbaugh was to land another NFL job, it would have to be on his terms without the oversight of a GM like he had with Trent Baalke (currently with Jacksonville Jaguars).

When talking to people inside NFL circles, they asked for my thoughts on Harbaugh. I told them there’s really only one landing spot--Los Angeles Chargers.

Conventional wisdom would tell us, first hire the GM, then the GM marries himself to the head coach of his choice. But conventional wisdom doesn’t always pan out.

In fact, if you do it right, you can land a head coach before the GM and still see an abundance of success--most recently dating back to 2017 with San Francisco 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan.

No question, Harbaugh wanted personnel power as part of negotiations and now he gets his wish in LA.

Harbaugh timeline

Harbaugh’s track record speaks for itself. He may also get on people’s nerves but the track record speaks for itself.

If winning is all that matters--no question, the Chargers won the jackpot. Below is Harbaugh’s track record dating back to the 619.

2004-2006: San Diego Toreros (29-6) | 2x Pioneer League Champion
2007-2010: Stanford Cardinal (29-21)
2011-2014: San Francisco 49ers (44-19-1) | 3 consecutive Championship berths
2015-2022: Michigan Wolverines (86-25) | 2023 National Champion

Which assistant coaches will follow?

If you’re going to change the cultural identity of an organization, you certainly need people who are like-minded at the top.

Back in San Francisco, Harbaugh was able to piece together a top-level coaching staff on both sides of the ball while retaining others:

OC Greg Roman
DC Vic Fangio (currently w/Eagles)
RBC Tom Rathman
OLC Mike Solari (currently w/Cowboys)
WRC John Morton (currently Broncos pass-game coordinator)
DBC Ed Donatell (most recently Vikings DC)
Assistant DBC Greg Jackson (currently Texans DBC)
Quality Control Coach Ejiro Evero (Panthers DC)

Some of these names will resurface including Donatell, who was very much liked by the players and helped the maturation and growth of young cornerbacks including CB Chris Culliver, CB Tramaine Brock, CB Tarrell Brown, CB Carlos Rogers, FS Dashon Goldson, FS Eric Reid and SS Donte Whitner.

Rathman is another name to watch. Although retired, I wouldn’t be surprised if Harbaugh reached out to his former running backs coach who helped fine-tune fundamentals working with RB Frank Gore, RB Kendall Hunter, RB Anthony Dixon, and RB Carlos Hyde, as he resides in Redwood Shores, CA.

And then there’s G-Ro. A guy who favors power-run, the scheme-fit would be ideal as the Chargers have a strong unit for playing power ball down in the trenches:

LT Rashawn Slater (scheme-diverse)
LG Zion Johnson
RG Jamaree Salyer

They also hold the No. 5 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, and based on my analytics will have their pick of the top OT should they prioritize the trenches.

Two names to watch Penn St. Olumiywa Fashanu and my top-rated offensive tackle--Notre Dame OT Joe Alt (legacy of the great Chiefs OT).

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Could Ejiro Evero make the switch?

Another coaching candidate who seems to be gaining interest around the league is Carolina Panthers DC Ejiro Evero.

The Panthers just announced the hiring of Tampa Bay Buccaneers OC Dave Canales as their next head coach. He will surely bring in his guys, which makes Evero a Harbaugh target if Canales opts to go in another direction.

Some things that Evero is known for includes an unquestioned work ethic--wakes up at 3:45 am PT to start his day, being a player’s coach, and tailor-made for a 3-4 base which the Chargers play.

He favors players who are physical, tough, and display a non-stop motor. That’s his identity. One player I spoke with who played for Coach Evero said:

“Coach is going to put his players in the best position to make plays. He’s a great teacher and always allows us players to provide feedback with a clear communication of our goal. Being a former player, also helps.”

Whether Evero reunites with Harbaugh remains to be seen, but don’t be surprised if it does.

Chargers salary cap-strapped

The Chargers are currently $45.8M over the cap. Harbaugh doesn’t have the luxury of a Paraag Marathe anymore to manipulate that aspect in helping turn that roster bonus into the signing bonus conversion spread over the life of that contract.

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He will have to rely heavily on the cap guys to maneuver that parameter which falls on the new GM’s shoulders.

Some big fish names to keep an eye on for my top-3 salary-cap casualties for each team include:

OLB Khalil Mack ($23.2M savings)
WR Keenan Allen ($23.1M savings)
WR Mike Williams ($20M savings)

If you’re looking at this from a GM perspective, the best bet would be to release some of those players and then target a top tier WR with their No. 5 overall pick.

The analytics will tell you that although WR Marvin Harrison Jr. (Ohio St.) will likely be off the board to GM Monti Ossenfort and the Arizona Cardinals at No. 4, they could trade down, stockpile more picks, gain a fountain of youth, and use those rookie contracts from multiple picks to manipulate the cap, all while filling pressing needs--that would otherwise not be a viable option when having to overpay in the free-agent market in future years.

It’s a doggy-dog world, and the Chargers need the cap relief. Look for one of the two receivers to be let-go before June 1.

Harbaugh inherits Pro Bowl talent

Just like with the San Francisco 49ers, Harbaugh has a nice foundation to work with and for the first-time--a franchise NFL quarterback:

QB Justin Herbert
WR Keenan Allen
LT Rashawn Slater
EDGE Joey Bosa
EDGE Khalil Mack
SS Derwin James

Back in 2011, Harbaugh inherited Pro Bowlers:

RB Frank Gore
TE Vernon Davis
DT Justin Smith
ILB Patrick Willis
K David Akers
P Andy Lee

Coincidentally a total of 6 players as lightning strikes twice. As Coach Harbaugh pieces his staff, don’t be surprised if he delves into the past to bank on his future.