Chargers Predicted to Emulate 2010s Seahawks as Jim Harbaugh Steps Into Pete Carroll’s Shoes Ahead of NFL Draft

Jim Harbaugh is now the HC of the Los Angeles Chargers. But guess who else was eyeing that spot? None other than Pete Carroll, the former head coach of the Seattle Seahawks. And get this – Carroll and Harbaugh have quite the history as rivals. It’s like a clash of titans, but in football coaching.

In the end, Harbaugh snagged the job, leaving Carroll on the sidelines. But here’s where it gets interesting. Now that Harbaugh’s in charge, he’s walking in Carroll’s old shoes. You see, Carroll made the leap from college football to the NFL just like Harbaugh did. And Harbaugh’s bringing along some familiar faces from his college days to join him in the Chargers’ ranks.

Jim Harbaugh to recruit familiar faces to his team

Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh has been busy building his staff with familiarity and tradition. And that’s the Chargers’ “unique position” as analyst Brett Kollmann said. “The Chargers have the potential to pull like an early 2010s Seahawks where Pete came in right and he knew all these kids that’s real.” He was the HC of USC before making the leap to Seattle. And once there, he drafted players he knew from college to his team. That made the transition easy for the rookies, as they did not have to spend time getting used to a new HC.

Harbaugh has already done that for his coaching staff. Upon his recent hiring to replace Brandon Staley, he turned to familiar faces for key positions. His top picks were OC Greg Roman and DC Jesse Minter, both of whom he had prior connections with. Adding to his lineup was the recently added Nick Hardwick, a former top center for the Chargers and a beloved figure in franchise history.

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And now with the Draft coming up, he’s “one of the few head coaches in the NFL now that is not just coming into this class right now. He’s been in this class since before they were in college. The Chargers have an opportunity here.” They are set to “have a phenomenal Draft just because they have that institutional base that nobody else does.” Carroll may still be on the lookout for an HC job now, but he and Harbaugh have a history together as well.

Jim and Pete’s college rivalry

It all began back in 2007 when Harbaugh’s Stanford pulled off a jaw-dropping upset against Carroll’s USC Trojans, who were nearly 40-point favorites. But the real competition started in 2009 when Stanford delivered a brutal 55-21 beat down to USC at the LA Memorial Coliseum.

Their rivalry only intensified when Carroll left USC for the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, just to find himself facing off against Harbaugh’s San Francisco 49ers. The games between these two teams were like heavyweight bouts, with Harbaugh often getting under the Seahawks’ skin. There were even rumors of him honking at their team bus after a victory. The pinnacle of their rivalry came in the 2013 NFC Championship game, a hard-fought battle won by Carroll’s Seahawks.

Now, with Carroll taking on an advisory role with the Seahawks, maybe the rivalry will finally simmer down. But knowing these two fiery personalities, don’t count on it just yet.