Chargers Move 2-Day Camp to USD, Reuniting Jim Harbaugh With 2004 Coaching Start
Updated
Updated · Los Angeles Times · Aug 5
Chargers Move 2-Day Camp to USD, Reuniting Jim Harbaugh With 2004 Coaching Start
3 articles · Updated · Los Angeles Times · Aug 5
Summary
Two days of Chargers training camp shifted to the University of San Diego this week, bringing Jim Harbaugh back to the campus where he got his first head-coaching job in 2004.
Three seasons at USD launched Harbaugh’s rise from former NFL quarterback to Stanford, the 49ers, Michigan and now his third year with the Chargers.
A 29-6 record in San Diego defined that start: Harbaugh inherited a middling program, won the 2006 Pioneer League title at 11-1 and became an Eddie Robinson Award finalist.
Shoestring conditions shaped the stint — Harbaugh scrubbed locker rooms, made nightly PB&J snacks, bought $10,000 of Saint Mary’s castoff gear and recruited future NFL quarterback Josh Johnson.
The return also fits the Chargers’ broader effort to reconnect with San Diego fans, while underscoring how Harbaugh’s demanding style and resourcefulness were forged at a non-scholarship program.