Big Ten Daily (Jan. 29): Jim Harbaugh Explains Decision to Leave Michigan for NFL

Jim Harbaugh explained his decision to leave Michigan for the NFL on Sunday. The biggest reason? "There's no Lombardi Trophy in college football."

Last week, Jim Harbaugh made the decision to leave Michigan and return to the NFL. After nine seasons in Ann Arbor, Harbaugh accepted the job with the Los Angeles Chargers, where he will begin the pursuit of a Super Bowl ring.

Prior to Sunday's AFC Championship Game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens, Harbaugh joined the CBS pre-game show and talked about his decision to leave Michigan.

“It was tough. I was torn,” Harbaugh said. “I love Michigan, but I love the NFL, too. There’s no Lombardi Trophy in college football. I’ve got so many sands left in the hourglass, and I want to take a crack at that.

"There's nowhere better to do that than with the Los Angeles Chargers."

Harbaugh left Michigan on a high note. He led the Wolverines to a perfect 15-0 season, complete with a third consecutive Big Ten title and a national championship.

In his nine seasons in Ann Arbor, Harbaugh accumulated an 83-25 record. He won three conference championships and made three College Football Playoff appearances.

Ultimately, though, Harbaugh wanted to pursue the Lombardi Trophy. He came so close to winning a ring in 2013, leading the San Francisco 49ers to Super Bowl XLVII, where he lost to his brother, John, and the Baltimore Ravens 34-31.

Former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher asked Harbaugh what type of culture he plans to build with the Chargers, which are coming off a 5-12 season in 2023.

“We work together. We win together. It’s worth it,” Harbaugh said. “The hard work, the sacrifice, the pressure – why would somebody put themselves through that? Because the rewards are just so darn good.”

Iowa hiring Tim Lester as OC

Kirk Ferentz has reportedly found his next offensive coordinator. According to a report from ESPN's Adam Rittenberg, Iowa plans to hire former Western Michigan coach Tim Lester.

Lester was last an offensive coordinator at Syracuse from 2014-15, also working as the quarterbacks coach. In his first season with the Orange, the offense averaged just 17.1 points and 329.9 yards per game.

The next season, Syracuse saw a significant increase in scoring average, jumping up to 27.3 points per contest. The yardage total dipped to 319.9 yards per game.

Ferentz and the Hawkeyes needed a major fix offensively. Although Iowa won the Big Ten West and finished the season with a 10-4 record, the offense was abysmal. 

Under Brian Ferentz, the team averaged 15.4 points and 234.6 yards per game. Those averages ranked 132nd and 133rd nationally. There are 133 FBS teams.

Lester actually found plenty of success offensively during the first five years of his tenure at Western Michigan. The Broncos ranked in the top-four of the MAC in points per game, averaging at least 32 points per contest each season.

Things turned sour in his the last two years. In 2021, Western Michigan ranked last in scoring offense in the MAC, averaging 19 points per game. The Broncos averaged 23.7 points in 2022.

Is Lester the right guy to help fix Iowa's offense? 

Edey joins elite Big Ten company

Zach Edey made more history on Sunday afternoon. The reigning National Player of the year became just the sixth player in Big Ten history to score 2,000 points and collect 1,000 rebounds in a career.

Edey reached that impressive milestone during Purdue's 68-60 win over Rutgers on Sunday. He scored his 2,000th career point on an alley-oop from Braden Smith.

The superstar center finished Sunday's game with 26 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks in the win. The Boilermakers improved to 19-2 on the year.

Here's the elite company Edey joined on Sunday:

• Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana 
• Ethan Happ, Wisconsin 
• Joe Barry Carroll, Purdue 
• Herb Williams, Ohio State
• Greg Kelser, Michigan

Edey also became just the sixth player in Purdue history to hit 2,000 career points.

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