Former NFL Coach of the Year Reveals He Was Almost Hired By Chargers Before Jim Harbaugh

A 'what if' for the Chargers.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Could Mike Vrabel have ended up as the Los Angeles Chargers head coach had Jim Harbaugh not decided to return to the NFL?

During an appearance on Barstool's Pardon My Take podcast, Vrabel appeared to indicate that he was the Chargers' second choice for Harbaugh. He also noted his 'respect' for Dean and Susie Spanos for calling him after they decided to make Harbaugh their next coach.

"Thought I had a great interview in L.A. for the Chargers, and Harbaugh decided to come back to the NFL," Vrabel said on Pardon My Take. "That's what Mr. and Mrs. Spanos communicated with me. I respect them for that. They literally called me on a speaker phone, and that rarely happens where if an owner is going to interview you and then go in a different direction that they'll personally call you. And they were like, 'second place isn't going to give you much, but wanted to tell you we just had an opportunity to hire Jim Harbaugh.'"

The Chargers considered many candidates before they hired the reigning College Football Playoff national champion on Jan. 24. They also interviewed Giff Smith, Kellen Moore, Patrick Graham, Todd Monken, Mike Macdonald, Steve Wilks, Leslie Frazier, Brian Callahan, David Shaw, Dan Quinn, Aaron Glenn, Ben Johnson, and Raheem Morris.

Vrabel could have made a great coach for the Chargers. Vrabel previously served as the head coach for the Tennessee Titans from 2018-23, where he led the Titans to three straight playoff appearances from 2019-21. Their consecutive playoff runs began during an improbable trip to the AFC Championship Game in the 2019-20 playoffs. The Titans upset the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens before losing the Kansas City Chiefs. They would win the AFC South the next two years, and even were the AFC's No. 1 seed in 2021. He was the NFL Coach of the Year for the Titans' succes in 2021.

Even if Vrabel could have worked out, Harbaugh seems to be the right candidate for the job. Multiple Chargers have noted their excitement to play for Harbaugh, and star linebackers Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa restructured their contracts in part to play under Harbaugh.

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