National Football League

Jay Harbaugh reportedly joining Seahawks instead of following father to Chargers

Updated Feb. 5, 2024 3:27 p.m. ET

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Former Michigan special teams coordinator Jay Harbaugh is rejoining former Wolverines defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald with the Seattle Seahawks instead of following his father Jim Harbaugh to the Los Angeles Chargers, per multiple reports.

Jay Harbaugh ran one of the most well-regarded special teams units in college football under Jim at Michigan since 2017. It was widely expected that he would follow his father after Jim was named Chargers head coach, especially after Jim's successor at Michigan, Sherrone Moore, elevated former special teams analyst J.B. Brown to Jay's former role last week with Jay's public support.

Instead, however, Jay will join the Seahawks under Macdonald, who was officially hired as Seattle's head coach last Wednesday, in a move that makes sense for both father and son.

Macdonald has deep ties to the Harbaugh family — he was a longtime Baltimore Ravens assistant under John Harbaugh (Jay's uncle) before Jim hired him as Michigan's defensive coordinator in 2021, which helped lead to a breakthrough win over archrival Ohio State and a Big Ten title that season for the first time in Jim's tenure as Michigan head coach. Macdonald then returned to the Ravens as defensive coordinator, where he oversaw one of the NFL's best defenses this past season before his hiring in Seattle.

The 36-year-old Macdonald is now the youngest head coach in the NFL. He previously worked with Jay on both the Ravens in 2014, when Jay was a quality control coach for his uncle, and in the aforementioned 2021 season when they were both Michigan coaches.

As for Jim, he has a quality special teams coordinator already in-house in Ryan Ficken, who oversaw one of the best such units in the NFL under previous Chargers head coach Brandon Staley. Jim Harbaugh is now reportedly likely to retain Ficken while continuing to bring other high-profile former Michigan assistants, including defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and strength coach Ben Herbert, with him to Los Angeles.

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