Jim Harbaugh took the sideline Thursday night against a franchise he's struggled with as a player and a coach.
But when his Los Angeles Chargers defeated the Minnesota Vikings at SoFi Stadium, Harbaugh came away with some history, joining Norm Van Brocklin as the only people in NFL history to earn 60 wins as both a starting quarterback and head coach.
Harbaugh got his 60th regular-season victory as a head coach on Thursday, improving his record to 60-28-1 in his sixth season -- his second year with the Bolts after coaching the San Francisco 49ers from 2011-14.
From 1987 through 2000, Harbaugh was an NFL quarterback who began his tenure as a 1987 first-round pick of the Chicago Bears. He played seven seasons with the Bears, four for the Indianapolis Colts -- including a 1995 Pro Bowl season while leading the team to the AFC Championship Game -- one with the Baltimore Ravens and two with the San Diego Chargers. He produced a 66-74 career record as a starting quarterback.
As a starting QB, Harbaugh was 3-8 against the Vikings, the most losses he had against any individual team. In the coaching ranks, Harbaugh was previously 0-1 versus Minnesota, having lost while leading the 49ers in 2012. Also of note was that Harbaugh lost out on the Vikings head coaching job when he interviewed for the gig in 2022. Of course, Minnesota hired Kevin O'Connell.
Jim Harbaugh, the coach
| Team | Regular Season Record | Years |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 44-19-1 | 2011-14 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 16-9 | 2024-25 |
Jim Harbaugh, the starting QB
| Team | Regular Season Record | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 35-30 | 1987-1993 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 20-26 | 1994-97 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 5-7 | 1998 |
| San Diego Chargers | 6-11 | 1999-2000 |
Harbaugh and Van Brocklin's careers, though sharing spots in the ultra-rare and ultra-impressive 60-60 club, were somewhat opposites.
Van Brocklin was a Hall of Famer on the playing field with the Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles from 1949-1960, going to nine Pro Bowls and winning the 1960 NFL MVP award -- the last Eagle to do so.
As a coach for the Vikings (1961-66) and Atlanta Falcons (1968-1974), Van Brocklin went 66-100-7. Taking the reins of the Vikings in their first season and the Falcons midway through their third, Van Brocklin's coaching career saw just three winning seasons and no playoff berths.
Harbaugh, meanwhile, is working on his fifth winning season in six campaigns as a head coach, having gone to the playoffs four times and never helming a losing year.
He's now reached a milestone that signifies only one other man has had it as good as he has when it comes to being a winner as an NFL player and head coach.
