Jim Harbaugh's time at Michigan can be remembered in one of two ways. Wolverines fans tend to remember it fondly, with Harbaugh bringing a National Championship to Ann Arbor before heading back to the NFL. Other college football fans, on the other hand, spend more time focusing on the scandals and cheating allegations.
What is evident from Harbaugh's time with the Wolverines is his ability to find great coordinators who have now gone on to become some of the best coaches in the NFL. In his third season with the Los Angeles Chargers, Harbaugh will face one of his former coordinators for the first time in the regular season.
The Chargers will face Mike Macdonald and the Seattle Seahawks, the reigning Super Bowl Champions. Macdonald coached under Harbaugh back in 2021 before heading back to the NFL as the Baltimore Ravens' defensive coordinator. The former Michigan DC is ready to face his former head coach and took the time to look back on his lone season in Ann Arbor fondly.
"I had the honor ot work with both Jim and John [Harbaugh]; obviously, one year with Jim, he gave me so much autonomy and the belief that he had in our staff on defense, me personally as well," Macdonald said. "It felt like he never left your corner, ya know? That meant a lot for a guy that was unproven and trying to figure things out on the fly, but that was kind of a foundational year for me."
Ahead of the Seahawks vs. Chargers game this weekend, Mike Macdonald says his year at Michigan under Jim Harbaugh was “special.” pic.twitter.com/5X3urNvdGj
— Clayton Sayfie (@CSayf23) September 29, 2026
Mike Macdonald is not the only success story from the Jim Harbaugh coaching tree
After a few years with the other Harbaugh brother, John, in Baltimore, Macdonald was hired to be the head coach for the Seahawks, and in his first season led Seattle to a 10-7 record. It felt like it couldn't get better for the Seahawks until they went on to win the Super Bowl in the 2025 season, with Macdonald being the third-youngest coach to accomplish the feat.
Even though Macdonald only spent one year in Ann Arbor with Harbaugh, it is clear that it was a memorable one for the then defensive coordinator. Macdonald speaks very highly of Harbaugh, and it's clear that not only does Harbaugh have an eye for talented coaches, but knows how to develop them for careers as potential head coaches.
Macdonald is not the only success story of Harbaugh's time at Michigan. When Macdonald left for the NFL in 2022, Harbaugh brought in Jesse Minter as the new defensive coordinator. Minter spent two seasons with the Wolverines, including the penultimate National Championship season in 2023.
Minter actually ended up being the interim coach for the first of Harbaugh's three-game suspension in 2023, giving him his first-ever win as a head coach. Minter was responsible for the elite Michigan defense that dominated in the National Championship game, and ended up following Harbaugh to Los Angeles after that season.
After a few seasons with the Chargers, Minter was hired by the Baltimore Ravens early in 2026 to replace John Harbaugh as the head coach. In his first season, Minter is already 2-1 and will face his former Michigan and Chargers head coach on November 16 in Baltimore.
So, while many people have differing opinions on Harbaugh, it can't be argued that he knows how to find talented coaches, some of whom have become some of the best coaches in the NFL.
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