Coaches to win a national title in college and a Super Bowl

Jim Harbaugh is chasing the Lombardi Trophy.

Harbaugh has agreed to a deal that makes him the next head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. The 60-year-old spent nine seasons as the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines and led them to a College Football Playoff national title this January.

This will be Harbaugh's second stint in the NFL. He previously coached the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2014. Harbaugh's 49ers were built to overwhelm opponents with a strong rushing attack and a suffocating defense. If that sounds familiar, it's because his national championship team in Ann Arbor followed the same blueprint.

While Harbaugh has already proven that he's capable of coaching at the professional level, he didn't manage to win a championship. In 2012, Harbaugh led the 49ers to Super Bowl XLVII but ultimately lost to the Baltimore Ravens, 34-31. Now, he'll get another chance to get his hands on the elusive Lombardi Trophy that slipped from his grasp.

How many coaches have appeared in a collegiate national title and a NFL championship?

Successful collegiate coaches don't always perform well in the NFL — look no further than Urban Meyer.

Only five coaches have won a college national title and appeared in a Super Bowl. Two of those coaches — Bobby Ross and Jim Harbaugh — didn't win the Super Bowl. Ross led Georgia Tech to a national championship in 1990, but lost the Super Bowl as head coach of the Chargers in 1994, when the franchise made its only Super Bowl appearance.

Legendary head coach Paul Brown led the Ohio State Buckeyes to a national championship in 1942 and won NFL championships prior to the Super Bowl era. Brown spent three seasons in Ohio State before joining the Cleveland Browns in 1946. He led the Browns to four championships in the All-America Football Conference. After Cleveland joined the NFL, Brown led them to three NFL championships in 1950, 1954 and 1955. Brown's coaching tenure came to an end shortly after the Super Bowl era began, so he never won a Super Bowl.

Here's a look at the coaches that won a collegiate national title and a Super Bowl championship:

1. Jimmy Johnson

Jimmy Johnson became the first coach to win a national championship and a Super Bowl. Johnson was head coach of the Miami Hurricanes from 1984-1988 and led them to a national championship in 1987. He joined the Dallas Cowboys and led them to back-to-back championships against the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowls 27 and 28.

2. Barry Switzer

Barry Switzer led the Oklahoma Sooners to three championships in 1974, 1975, and 1985. Switzer succeeded Jimmy Johnson in Dallas prior to the 1994 NFL season. He led the Cowboys to their last championship in Super Bowl 30 against Pittsburgh.

3. Pete Carroll

Pete Carroll was the last coach to win a championship at both levels. After being fired as head coach of the New England Patriots after the 1999 season, Carroll won two national championships at USC in 2003 and 2004. Carroll made a return to the NFL, much like Harbaugh, and won Super Bowl XLVIII against Denver.

Harbaugh will look to become just the fourth coach on that selective list. He is inheriting a Chargers team that possesses a strong aerial attack. The team also already has a franchise quarterback in Justin Herbert — a rarity for teams with head coaching vacancies. With the fifth-overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft and key roster pieces already at his disposal, Harbaugh's Chargers could rapidly return to form as Super Bowl contenders.