Charger Report

Chargers Jim Harbaugh gets highly satisfying first win over rival Pete Carroll in heated battle for AFC West

The hiring of Pete Carroll by the Las Vegas Raiders stoked the fire of the longstanding rivalry with Charger head man Jim Harbaugh -- and it looks like Harbaugh is already winning.

Brian Letscher

Jan 15, 2025; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh.
Jan 15, 2025; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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Jim Harbaugh and Pete Carroll have been rivals for decades. It started back in 1990 when Harbaugh played quarterback for the Chicago Bears and Carroll was the D-Coordinator of the New York Jets. The young signal-caller fired away that day, going 28-of-42 for 303 yards and a touchdown in a 19-13 Bears victory.

Jim Harbaugh
Sep 26, 1993; Chicago, IL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Chicago Bears quarterback Jim Harbaugh (4). / Peter Brouillet-Imagn Images

It was the first of many on-field battles. And the beginning of a highly competitive relationship that seemed to take a turn toward personal dislike after Harbaugh's Stanford team whooped up on Carrolls highly-ranked USC Trojans years later in 2009.

The rivalry continued when both men took jobs in the NFC West and Harbaugh's Niners faced Carroll's Seahawks for several years, with Carroll coming out on top five wins to four. Their overall head coach record against each other is a dead even 6-6.

Related article: Hilarious video perfectly lays out long-time beef between Jim Harbaugh and Pete Carroll

Jim Harbaugh and Pete Carroll
Oct 18, 2012; San Francisco, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll (left) and San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

It certainly didn't take long for new Raiders coach Carroll to take an shot at Harbaugh and the Chargers just a few days ago, requesting to interview Charger passing game coordinator, Sanjay Lal, for the exact same position with the Raiders. Offering a lateral move like that is essentially saying, "Hey, come join us, it's better over here."

Not so fast, said Harbaugh. Per NFL rules, an organization can block an interview request for a lateral move. And that is exactly what Harbaugh and the Charges did.

Related article: Chargers slam door on Raiders' attempt to steal coach from Jim Harbaugh

While their respective teams won't battle between the lines until this Fall, the Harbaugh v Carroll game is already in full swing with Cool Jim ahead, 1-0.

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Brian Letscher
BRIAN LETSCHER

A Michigan native, Brian graduated from the University of Michigan in another century, where he earned a degree in economics and a Rose Bowl Championship ring while playing football for the Wolverines under Head Coach Gary Moeller. Brian went on to coach Division 1A football for several years before becoming a full-time writer and actor while maintaining an unhealthy interest in sports. He is currently developing a scripted television series, THOSE WHO STAY, based on a series of historical fiction articles he wrote about Bo Schembechler's Michigan football program as they struggle to unite and win the championship - which requires beating #1 Ohio State - during the tumultuous civil rights and anti-war movements of 1969.

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