Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh takes issue with one prominent narrative about himself.
Throughout his coaching career, Harbaugh has been dogged by a perception that he can be difficult to get along with. Much of that is informed from his tenure with the San Francisco 49ers, where he was involved in a power struggle with then-GM Trent Baalke, though it has also been reported he had friction with Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel.
To Harbaugh, the perception could not be further from the truth.
“The narrative that I’m hard to get along with or whatever other narrative out there is, that’s just people’s narrative,” Harbaugh told Kris Rhim of ESPN. “Nobody’s ever doubted where my heart is every single time: what’s in the best interest of the team that I am on.”
So far with the Chargers, things have been great, with Harbaugh in top form with his public quotes. There is no denying that he can be very intense, perhaps to the detriment of his teams. On the other hand, he has been very successful, and that might sum up why he generally thinks he knows best.