Jim Harbaugh Will No Longer Serve as Honorary Captain for Michigan's Home Opener

Jun 13, 2024; Costa Mesa, CA, USA; Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh at a press conference during minicamp at the Hoag Performance Center.
Jun 13, 2024; Costa Mesa, CA, USA; Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh at a press conference during minicamp at the Hoag Performance Center. / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Michigan Wolverines announced last week that former coach Jim Harbaugh would return to the football program to serve as the honorary captain for the 2024 season opener on Aug. 31 vs. Fresno State.

However, new football coach Sherrone Moore told reporters on Tuesday that Harbaugh will no longer serve as the honorary captain as he doesn't want to leave the Los Angeles Chargers for that period of time ahead of his first season coaching there. Harbaugh called Michigan to let them know of his decision, The Athletic's Austin Meek reported.

Harbaugh coached Michigan up until January of this year. He led the Wolverines to a national title, then accepted the head coaching position with the Chargers to return to the NFL. The Week 1 matchup for Michigan will also serve as a celebration of sorts for the national champions.

The week of Michigan's home opener is technically during an off week for the Chargers, as the team plays a preseason game on Saturday, Aug. 24, then plays their Week 1 matchup on Sunday, Sept. 8.


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Madison Williams

MADISON WILLIAMS

Madison Williams is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where she specializes in tennis but covers a wide range of sports from a national perspective. Before joining SI in 2022, Williams worked at The Sporting News. Having graduated from Augustana College, she completed a master’s in sports media at Northwestern University. She is a dog mom and an avid reader.