LOS ANGELES -- Jim Harbaugh is leaving the national champion Michigan Wolverines to accept the head-coaching job with the NFL's Los Angeles Chargers, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Wednesday.
Harbaugh has agreed to a five-year deal with the Chargers, sources told ESPN.
Harbaugh was considered among the Chargers' most desirable candidates in this coaching cycle because of his success in both the college and professional levels. Since his head-coaching career began in 2006 at the University of San Diego, Harbaugh has had success at Stanford and Michigan, and in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers.
There's also Harbaugh's Chargers connection: He played quarterback for the team for two seasons (1999-2000).
As a collegiate coach, Harbaugh has a 144-42 record, winning three Big Ten championships and Michigan's first national title since 1997 this past season.
He was 86-25 at Michigan and restored college football's winningest program to relevance after it slipped over several seasons under Brady Hoke and Rich Rodriguez following the retirement of national championship-winning coach Lloyd Carr.
The rival Ohio State Buckeyes had an eight-game winning streak against the Wolverines until Harbaugh helped them snap the streak in 2021, leading to their first of three straight Big Ten titles and College Football Playoff appearances.
Following two straight losses in the semifinals, extending Harbaugh's winless streak in bowl games to six, Michigan outlasted Alabama at the Rose Bowl this past season and pulled away from Washington to win the national championship with a school record 15-0 mark.
Despite the ultimate triumph, it was a season filled with adversity for Harbaugh, who served two three-game suspensions in 2023. He missed the first three games due to an NCAA investigation into alleged recruiting violations in 2020, and he missed the final three games of the regular season following a sign-stealing scandal and the subsequent dismissal of staff member Connor Stalions.
Harbaugh spent four seasons (2011-2014) as the 49ers' head coach, being named the NFL's Coach of the Year in his first season. He led the 49ers to Super Bowl XLVII, where they lost to the Baltimore Ravens, coached by his brother John.
Harbaugh left the 49ers with a 44-19-1 regular record.
The Chargers are scheduled to play the Ravens next season at SoFi Stadium, which now officially will be a matchup between John and Jim Harbaugh.
When Harbaugh took over the 49ers, he was rebuilding a team which had tumbled from the NFL's elite and missed the playoffs for eight straight seasons.
He will have a similar challenge with the Chargers, who finished 5-12 this season and have three playoff wins since 2008. Another task for Harbaugh will be deciding the construction of the Chargers' roster, as the team is projected to be $27.5 million over the league salary cap, according to ESPN's roster management system.
Harbaugh and the Chargers had been linked since the offseason began. Still, one of the potential challenges for the Harbaugh-Chargers reunion was if owner Dean Spanos was willing to pay Harbaugh a competitive salary, one that would lure him away from Michigan and other NFL teams.
While the Chargers have signed players to record-breaking contracts, the organization has developed a reputation for not paying coaches. The Spanos have denied that claim, with team president John Spanos telling reporters in December that he didn't know where "narratives came from" and that the team has never had limitations with spending.
The Chargers fired coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco on Dec. 15, following a 63-21 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 15.
Now that the Chargers have found their on-field leader, they now turn their focus to the front office and hiring a general manager.
The Chargers held an extensive coaching search after firing Staley, interviewing a league high 15 candidates. They began internally with interim head coach Giff Smith and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore before interviewing former Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan, Raiders DC Patrick Graham, former Titans coach Mike Vrabel, former Stanford coach David Shaw, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken and Ravens defensive coordinator Mike MacDonald.
Staley finished his 48-game Chargers tenure with a .500 record, with one playoff appearance that ended in a historic loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Michigan, meanwhile, is focusing its search on offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore to replace Harbaugh, and he's expected to be offered the job barring an unexpected development, sources told ESPN's Chris Low. Moore served as acting head coach for four games during the 2023 season -- once during Harbaugh's initial suspension and for all of Harbaugh's second three-game suspension.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.