Not long after news broke that former Michigan head football coach Jim Harbaugh would sign with the Los Angeles Chargers, the NFL franchise formally announced Harbaugh as its new head coach late Wednesday night.

"Jim Harbaugh is football personified, and I can think of no one better to lead the Chargers forward," said Owner and Chairman of the Board Dean Spanos. "The son of a coach, brother of a coach and father of a coach who himself was coached by names like Schembechler and Ditka, for the past two decades Jim has led hundreds of men to success everywhere he's been — as their coach. And today, Jim Harbaugh returns to the Chargers, this time as our coach. Who has it better than us?"

After three years of flirting with the NFL, Harbaugh finally made the jump from the college ranks to the professional level, where he will look to live out his dream of winning a Super Bowl.

The Spanos family seemingly couldn't be more thrilled with the hire.

"You don't build a resume like Jim's by accident, and you don't do it by yourself," said President of Football Operations John Spanos. "You need a team. And nobody has built a team more successfully, and repeatedly, in recent history than Jim Harbaugh. His former players swear by him, and his opponents swear at him. Jim is one of one, and we couldn't be more excited to have him back in the Chargers organization as our head coach."

Harbaugh was obviously thrilled himself, too, noting his love for Michigan, but his desire to return to the NFL.

"My love for Michigan, playing there and coming back to coach there, leaves a lasting impact. I'll always be a loyal Wolverine," said Harbaugh. "I'm remarkably fortunate to have been afforded the privilege of coaching at places where life's journey has created strong personal connections for me."

"From working as an assistant coach at Western Kentucky alongside my father, Jack, and time as an assistant with the Raiders, to being a head coach at USD, Stanford, the 49ers and Michigan — each of those opportunities carried significance, each felt personal. When I played for the Chargers, the Spanos family could not have been more gracious or more welcoming. Being back here feels like home, and it's great to see that those things haven't changed."

The Associated Press named Harbaugh the NFL Coach of the Year for his efforts in 2011, which was his first season with the San Francisco 49ers. Now, 13 years later, Harbaugh will once again have an inaugural season with an NFL franchise from California.

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