Report: College Football Programs Will 'Look' At Jim Harbaugh If He's Fired

Few NFL teams, if any, have been more disappointing to start the 2026 season than the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Chargers, who entered the 2026 season with Super Bowl hopes, are 0-3. The team is playing poorly in just about every aspect of the game. Even Justin Herbert, whom Jim Harbaugh has called the greatest quarterback of all-time, is playing a rough brand of football.

A coaching move is still likely a long way away, however, if Harbaugh were to be fired, would a college football program consider a possible move?

It’s complicated.

Jim Harbaugh led the University of Michigan to a national championship in his final season in Ann Arbor.

However, Harbaugh was hit with a 10-year show-cause penalty that runs through 2038, stemming from Michigan’s sign-stealing scandal. Harbaugh is likely to be suspended for at least one full season if he were to return to college football, too.

According to the NCAA Infractions Committee, Harbaugh would be prohibited from any “contact or communication with football coaching staff members or student-athletes during the suspension period” and would not be allowed to participate in any coaching activities “including but not limited to team travel, practice, video study, recruiting and team meetings,” during that suspension.

But that wouldn’t stop programs from considering him.

College football programs would consider hiring Harbaugh

“If he gets fired and is available, somebody will look,” one coaching search industry executive told Yahoo Sports. “It comes down to timing.”

The Los Angeles Chargers are struggling. Jim Harbaugh could be on the hot seat.
Could he come back to college football? It’s complicated. Very, very complicated.
“If he gets fired and is available, someone will look”
For @yahoosports
https://t.co/88IZEyJQsK

— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) September 30, 2026

A lot has changed in college football in recent years, though. Still, many consider him to be among the best in the sport.

“He’s one of the few answers to the question of how could you guarantee an upgrade over Lincoln Riley?” a second coaching industry executive said. “It would have to be a situation like that. The chances [of somebody hiring Harbaugh] are less than 10% but more than 0%.”

It would be fascinating to watch, that’s for sure.

This story was originally published by The Spun on Sep 30, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.