Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is playing for his fourth head coach in five years, including interim coach Giff Smith last season. Herbert revealed Thursday that his new head coach, Jim Harbaugh, has changed the team and called it an “honor” to play for him.
“He’s done such a great job taking this team and getting them to where he wants them to go,” Herbert said, via Kris Rhim of ESPN. “He’s won wherever he’s at. He’s a guy that everyone wants to follow and play for.”
Harbaugh, 60, played in the NFL for 14 seasons, and he often joins the players in drills or post-practice lifts. He has done pushups with linebacker Junior Colson and demonstrated a proper dropback to quarterback Casey Bauman, among other things, per Rhim.
“It’s a cool experience to be able to share that with your head coach,” Herbert said. “Whether we’re pulling sleds, he expects to be the fastest or to pull the farthest, and when we’re carrying those med balls, he’s wanting to go the farthest; he wants to go the fastest.
“And to have a guy like that set the stage, set the standard for these undrafted guys, for these rookies to see that, I think they follow in his footsteps.”
The Chargers spent the offseason practicing in game jerseys and helmets. There has been nothing laid back about Harbaugh’s approach as he has stressed attention to detail, encouraged competition and demanded high energy.
The Chargers seem to have bought in, and why shouldn’t they?
In four years as the 49ers head coach, Harbaugh led them to the Super Bowl and never had a losing season. He has a 44-19-1 record in the NFL, and most recently, won a national championship at the University of Michigan last season.
