Chargers’ pursuit of Jim Harbaugh advancing to final stages: report

Jim Harbaugh’s time in Ann Arbor may be coming to a close after a recent report that he is nearing the home stretch to fill the Los Angeles Chargers’ head coaching vacancy. 

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported Tuesday the Chargers are “in the zone where something can happen” soon. 

“My understanding is it’s an extremely strong offer that they have made to him financially,” Garafolo said. “They’re now at the point where they’re going to discuss staffing when it comes to general manager and, obviously, the coaching staff who’s going to work alongside Harbaugh as well. 

“This feels like advancing to the point where, if everybody’s comfortable with a lot of the principal factors at play, that this team could move on Jim Harbaugh and try to get him under contract here in the near future.”

Garafolo added he doesn’t feel Harbaugh is using his interviews with NFL teams like the Chargers to coerce the University of Michigan to give him even more than it’s already willing to shell out for a new contract.

“It feels like Harbaugh is not just toying with the NFL to try to get Michigan to agree to something to jump back to college,” Garafolo explained. 

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Harbaugh is one of the top candidates in the NFL head coaching market, with Bill Belichick, Mike Vrabel and others. 

Harbaugh had an interview with the Atlanta Falcons, who have spoken with Belichick multiple times already. The Falcons reportedly planned to schedule a second meeting with Harbaugh soon. 

However, this report would indicate the Chargers are very much set on making Harbaugh their next head coach. 

Pro Football Talk reports former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll is making a push for the Chargers’ job. Carroll was expected to take over a front office role with Seattle.

Harbaugh has been speculated to be the next head coach of the Chargers since Brandon Staley was let go after a lackluster season without a playoff berth. 

Harbaugh is coming off a national title season with the Wolverines, winning the university’s first championship since 1997. But there are NCAA investigations ongoing into Harbaugh and the Michigan program, which led some to believe he would return to the NFL to avoid complications the investigations could cause. 

Harbaugh previously served as the San Francisco 49ers’ head coach, going 44-19-1 from 2011-2014, before heading to his alma mater.