Two decades before he became one of the NFL’s most iconic coaches, Jim Harbaugh quietly embarked on his head coaching career at a small Catholic university in San Diego. As he begins a new chapter with the Los Angeles Chargers, those early days at the University of San Diego offer a revealing look at the origins of a coaching legend.
Humble Beginnings at USD
In late 2003, the 39-year-old Harbaugh interviewed for the head coaching vacancy at USD, a non-scholarship FCS program. Despite an unimpressive resume – he had just retired after 15 NFL seasons and was a little-known Raiders assistant – Harbaugh’s passion and preparation won over the hiring committee.
“For someone that had played at the highest level, he had a humbleness about him, but also a great passion and plan,” recalled USD athletics administrator Dan Yourg. “And he had done his homework.”
When asked about his objectives, Harbaugh told them his ultimate goal was to win a Super Bowl. It was a surprising admission for a college job interview, but it shed light on his commitment to winning.
Dan Yourg, USD Athletics Administrator
Building a Foundation
Harbaugh’s first USD team in 2004 struggled to a 7-4 record, a step back from the prior season. But the coach’s demanding style and NFL pedigree began attracting better talent. His 2005 and 2006 squads went a combined 22-2, delivering USD’s first two Pioneer Football League titles.
Former USD linebacker Ronnie Pentz recalled Harbaugh’s now-famous intensity. “His dad would be backpedaling like right behind me, screaming down my ear,” Pentz said with a smile. “I couldn’t slow down for one second or this old man would smash into me. That’s where Jim’s enthusiasm comes from.”
Motivational Tactics and Life Lessons
While Harbaugh’s fiery personality rubbed some the wrong way, players were unified by his ability to motivate and elevate the program. He found unique ways to engage the team, like having them watch a traffic controller to illustrate the importance of “mind-numbing repetition.”
If you oversimplify him down to a quote, you miss Harbaugh. If you lift the covers on most of the one-off quotes and stories, there’s a lot more there for those of us who know him.
Wes Doyle, former USD wide receiver
A Coach’s Journey Begins
Harbaugh’s USD tenure launched a coaching odyssey that would lead him to success at Stanford, to a Super Bowl appearance with the 49ers, to a College Football Playoff appearance at Michigan, and now to his first NFL head coaching job with the Chargers. But the foundational philosophies and leadership qualities that define him were forged in those early days as a young head coach.
As he begins this new chapter, Chargers fans eager for a franchise turnaround need only look to the past to see the blueprint – an intense, demanding coach with an uncanny ability to quickly elevate a program and instill a winning mentality. It’s a formula Harbaugh has replicated time and again since those humble beginnings at USD. Now, he’ll try to do it on the sport’s biggest stage.
