Jim Harbaugh continues to weigh a return to the NFL after leading Michigan to its first national championship since 1997. According to reports, he is “believed” to be speaking with the Los Angeles Chargers about their head coaching vacancy “next week”, according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero.

The Chargers are in the market for a new head coach since firing Brandon Staley with 3 games to go in the 2023 season, following a 24-25 record with the team.

Harbaugh, of course, has strong California ties, and ties to the Chargers: he was with the franchise in 1999 and 2000 while they were in San Diego. California is where he began his coaching career as quarterbacks coach of the Oakland Raiders, before joining the college ranks as the head coach of the University of San Diego and Stanford before 4 seasons at the helm of the San Francisco 49ers.

Meanwhile, Rapoport and Pellisero reported that Michigan and Harbaugh remain in negotiation for an extension. That’s “in light of other recent movement in college football” that includes Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer being hired for the same position at Alabama following the retirement of Nick Saban.