Chargers News: Jim Harbaugh Reveals Why He Returned To NFL After 9 Years With Michigan

Why Harbaugh is back in the NFL.

Jim Harbaugh is back in the NFL after nine years with Michigan. The new Los Angeles Chargers head coach has been rumored to return to the NFL for years since leaving the San Francisco 49ers after the 2014 season, but now he is actually back.

One of the driving factors for Harbaugh's return is his desire to win a Super Bowl, as he explained on The Herd with Colin Cowherd.

"To me, it's faith, family, football," Harbaugh told Colin Cowherd. "The challenge, take another crack at winning the Lombardi, being known as simply world champions." 

Harbaugh of course came close three different times back when he was the coach of the San Francisco 49ers. He led the team to three consecutive NFC Championship Game appearances and one Super Bowl appearance. 

These appearances were especially notable because of how devastatingly close Harbaugh and the 49ers were. In the first appearance in 2011, the 49ers were likely a couple of Kyle Williams fumbles away from making the Super Bowl. In 2012, the 49ers almost completed the Super Bowl comeback but were unable to score a touchdown from five yards out, and in 2013, an end of game interception cost a potential comeback win to make the Super Bowl.

Now, Harbaugh is joining the Chargers, where he hopes to turn this team into a Super Bowl champion. 

On top of his return to the NFL, Harbaugh also noted that this job marks his return to California, where he has previously coached many times.

"I'm a midwest guy, but then half of me is a California guy as well ... there's not only an emotional connection to the team, but to the state," Harbaugh said.

Prior to Michigan, Harbaugh only coached in California, coaching for the then Oakland Raiders, at USD, Stanford and then the 49ers. With his history in California, it only makes sense that Harbaugh's return to the NFL finally came with a California team.