Trent Baalke: 'I Figured Jim Harbaugh Would Always Return' to NFL

Jim Harbaugh is officially back in the NFL after his last stint ended with clashing between him and former 49ers general manager Trent Baalke.

One of the most public splits between a general manager and head coach in recent NFL history occurred between Trent Baalke and Jim Harbaugh nearly a decade ago. Now, the two are both in the NFL at the same time for the first time since.

For Baalke, who then served as the San Francisco 49ers general manager during Harbaugh's stint as head coach, there is little to zero surprise to see Harbaugh find his way back to the NFL after his first stint as a head coach.

“Yeah, I figured Jim would always return. He’s a good football coach, he’s won everywhere he’s been," Baalke said Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine. "He deserves a chance to come back into the league and I’m glad he got that opportunity.”

Baalke was also asked what advice he would give the Los Angeles Chargers' front office when it came to working alongside Harbaugh, though he unsurprisingly took a diplomatic approach.

“I work for the Jacksonville Jaguars, not L.A. I worked with Jim for a number of years, I have great respect for him, and I wish him nothing but the best," Baalke said. 

Baalke did go into detail on Harbaugh when asked about the Michigan Wolverines' program and what he sees out of their draft prospects in recent years. Baalke hasn't drafted a player from Michigan during his tenure with the Jaguars, notably passing on Aiden Hutchinson in favor of Georgia's Travon Walker in the 2022 NFL Draft.

“Michigan did an outstanding job. If one thing you can seek point to, maturity wins. That was a very mature football team, a lot of fifth and sixth year guys contributing to a national championship team," Baalke said.  

"That’s no different than the league, if you look at who wins Super Bowls, it’s mature football teams. I think Jim [Harbaugh] did an outstanding job of building the continuity there where the players wanted to stay, they wanted to finish out their careers and they wanted to win a national championship. That’s what they did. Hats off to Jim and the University of Michigan for what they built there. That’s what I think we’re all trying to build, a winner. You do that with mature players.”