Good morning, I’m Dan Gartland. I’m glad Jim Harbaugh lastly made up his thoughts.
In immediately’s SI:AM:
〽️ What shedding Harbaugh means for Michigan
⚡ What touchdown Harbaugh means for the Chargers
🤔 Why Harbaugh’s choice to depart was so advanced
In case you’re studying this on SI.com, click on right here to subscribe to obtain SI:AM in your inbox each weekday.
Hail to the Chargers
In a transfer that felt inevitable, Michigan Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh was employed yesterday by the Los Angeles Chargers.
Rumors that Harbaugh may go away Ann Arbor and return to the NFL had begun circulating years in the past. Hypothesis ramped up this season, although, and after Michigan gained the nationwide championship, it made sense that Harbaugh would make the bounce. He’d achieved his greatest aim—main his alma mater to a title—and the NCAA’s hawks had been circling over his head for potential punishment after two scandals loomed. It was nearly as good a time as any to depart.
Harbaugh additionally interviewed with the Atlanta Falcons however in the end selected to go to the Chargers. It’s straightforward to see why the L.A. job can be enticing to him. Past Los Angeles being a pleasant place to stay, the job additionally provides Harbaugh an opportunity to work with some of the proficient quarterbacks within the NFL, Justin Herbert. Harbaugh is a former quarterback who started his NFL teaching profession because the quarterbacks coach with the Raiders.
After profitable Offensive Rookie of the 12 months and making the Professional Bowl in his second season, Herbert posted profession lows in completion share and passing yards per sport this season. That’s hardly his fault, although. The Chargers had been clearly a large number (ending the season with a 5–12 document), and two of his prime targets—Mike Williams and Josh Palmer—missed a lot of the season with accidents. However Herbert is clearly able to being one of many prime quarterbacks within the league when he has the items round him, and the Chargers have dedicated to him by way of the 2029 season. That sort of certainty is rather more interesting to a coach than the Falcons’ murky QB scenario.
However how does this affect Michigan? The excellent news for the Wolverines is that there needs to be a easy transition of energy, with present offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore the favourite to interchange Harbaugh. (Moore was the interim coach when Harbaugh was suspended this season.)
However whoever takes over the workforce subsequent will inherit a program with loads of query marks. For one factor, Michigan may have loads of roster turnover subsequent season. All of the gamers who selected to come back again to highschool after the 2022 season to chase another likelihood at a championship can be gone. That features stars like quarterback J.J. McCarthy, working again Blake Corum, receiver Roman Wilson, and defensive studs like Jaylen Harrell and Kris Jenkins. There’s additionally the likelihood that Michigan may face NCAA sanctions on account of the sign-stealing scandal, in addition to further punishment for the COVID-19 recruiting violations dedicated by Harbaugh. He might have additionally misled NCAA investigators.
Harbaugh’s departure is the most recent twist in what’s been a wild “offseason” in faculty soccer. Just one coach from this yr’s 4 Faculty Soccer Playoff groups stays at his unique faculty (Steve Sarkisian at Texas).
The query for Harbaugh now’s whether or not he’ll be capable to replicate the success he had with the San Francisco 49ers. The Chargers play in a tricky division that’s been dominated by the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs for the previous eight years, however this season has proven that even Okay.C. may be considerably weak. And the NFL is a league the place groups not often keep on the highest or backside for very lengthy. It’s straightforward to check how Harbaugh will help the Chargers flip issues round briefly order.
Shifting to the NFL provides Harbaugh the chance to chase the Tremendous Bowl win that he got here so near throughout his run with the Niners. He made three straight NFC championship video games in his 4 years in San Francisco, profitable in 2012 to arrange a Tremendous Bowl showdown in opposition to the Baltimore Ravens and his brother, John. The older Harbaugh lifted the trophy that night time, however now Jim can be gunning for his personal championship. He’ll even have an instantaneous likelihood to go head-to-head with John subsequent season, because the Ravens will go to the Chargers. The schedule hasn’t been introduced but, however you’ll be able to guess that one can be nationally televised.
The perfect of Sports activities Illustrated
Kirby Lee/USA TODAY
Pat Forde breaks down Jim Harbaugh’s choice from a Michigan perspective, together with what potential punishment Harbaugh and the college may face. Michael Rosenberg wrote in regards to the complexity of Harbaugh’s choice to depart his alma mater. For the Chargers, hiring a coach like Harbaugh is the large swing the workforce wanted to say itself as one thing greater than the Rams’ roommates, Conor Orr writes. Orr additionally gave his tackle the most effective matches for the 4 remaining head-coaching jobs within the NFL. Listening to Bucks normal supervisor Jon Horst converse yesterday confirmed Chris Mannix’s perception that firing coach Adrian Griffin was a dangerous choice.New Bucks coach Doc Rivers’s precedence can be fixing Milwaukee’s protection, Rohan Nadkarni writes.
The highest 5…
… issues I noticed final night time:
5. Cale Makar’s stick-handling and pinpoint accuracy to attain his 76th profession aim, essentially the most by a defenseman in Avalanche franchise historical past.
4. A suburban Kansas Metropolis highschool soccer workforce’s response to being mistakenly included in a graphic selling the AFC championship sport.
3. Victor Wembanyama’s staredown of Chet Holmgren after dunking on him.
2. Again-to-back fights between the Panthers and Coyotes, instantly after the opening face-off.
1. Mike Breen’s joke about Doc Rivers taking the Bucks job.
SIQ
Right now is the one hundredth anniversary of the opening of the primary Winter Olympics, which was hosted by what metropolis?
OsloSaint Moritz, SwitzerlandLake Placid, N.Y.Chamonix, France
Yesterday’s SIQ: Which elite contact hitter, recognized for his small stature, was elected to the Baseball Corridor of Fame by the BBWAA as a part of the museum’s fourth class on Jan. 24, 1939?
Lefty O’DoulBilly HamiltonWillie KeelerDan Brouthers
Reply: Willie Keeler. He was referred to as “Wee Willie” as a result of he stood 5’4″ and weighed simply 140 kilos. However Keeler was the most effective hitters in baseball historical past. He led the NL in hits thrice, together with in 1897 when he posted an astounding .424 batting common, 34 factors greater than some other participant within the league.
Keeler, who died 16 years earlier than he was elected, was recognized for his potential to hit the ball wherever he wished, a talent he honed through the use of an unusually heavy bat (as much as 46 ounces, in accordance with the Corridor of Fame).
Keeler performed 19 seasons within the majors, largely with the three groups in his native New York. He picked up 2,932 profession hits in 2,123 video games and a .341 profession batting common that ranks seventeenth all time.