Since 2000, head coaches have made the college-to-NFL jump on 13 occasions, and the NFL has not been kind. Prior to the Chargers’ Jim Harbaugh, Urban Meyer lasted just 13 games.
Harbaugh has been back in the NFL for less than nine months, touching down with Justin Herbert in what most considered his best landing spot. But already in Week 1, Harbaugh has an opportunity reach rarified air among NFL head coaches.
Harbaugh is 4-0 in Week 1 games. The only head coach in NFL history with more wins without a loss or tie is Raymond Berry (5-0), per Josh Dubow of the Associated Press.
Harbaugh, whose salary is a reported $16 million, was 4-0 in kickoff games from 2011-14 as San Francisco coach. He led the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game in each of his first three seasons, earning a Super Bowl berth in 2012, before finishing 8-8 in 2014.
At Michigan, Harbaugh lost just twice in nine season-openers, 2015 at Utah and 2018 at Notre Dame. And in four years at Stanford (2007-10), he lost just one Week 1 contest, in 2007 against UCLA (prior to Andrew Luck’s tenure at quarterback).
In other words, Harbaugh has won 14 of his last 16 season-openers as a college or NFL head coach.
Harbaugh is hoping to avoid the path of Urban Meyer and other college-to-NFL head coaches. While Harbaugh was successful in his first such jump, from Stanford to the 49ers in 2011, the NFL has not been kind in that category.
Berry actually took the reins of a 5-3 New England team halfway through 1984, during an unbelievable week at team headquarters. In his first game as Patriots head coach, Oct. 28, 1984, the Hall of Famer rallied the Patriots from a 20-3 deficit to beat the Jets, 30-20. He then strung together wins in each of his five season-openers, including 1985, when he guided New England to Super Bowl XX against Mike Ditka’s Bears.
Harbaugh, who served as the Raiders’ quarterbacks coach from 2002-03, hosts Las Vegas to begin the new era in Chargers history on Sept. 8. The coach will welcome the change of calendar after a bit of a stressful August.