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Chargers' Jim Harbaugh Shares Father Jack's Hilarious Retirement Advice

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nick Meyer | Last updated Sep 20, 2025 9:57 AM ET

The Los Angeles Chargers are 2-0 this season, perched atop the AFC West with a home game against Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos up next.

The Chargers' head coach Jim Harbaugh has fully put his stamp on the Chargers' franchise, as evidenced by his team's "boa constrictor" type win over arch rival Las Vegas this past Monday night.

The Chargers' swarming Jesse Minter led defense has become a rock Harbaugh can lean on, much like his father Jack Harbaugh, who has advised his son for decades on the sport they both love.

Recently, Harbaugh spoke with media, sharing a hilarious story about his father's retirement advice that will likely be music to the ears of L.A. fans everywhere.

Jack Harbaugh's Hilarious Advice

The elder Harbaugh is known for his tireless devotion to the sport of football and his family, a sentiment echoed in Jim Harbaugh's recent story.

Harbaugh said he and his brother John asked his father for advice on retirement, after which he unloaded a gem as usual.

"You coach as long as you possibly can until you cannot do one more script, you can't walk out on the field for one more practice or do one more gameplan," Jim Harbaugh said.

"That's when you know you should coach for two more years."

HC Jim Harbaugh on his father's advice for when to retire: "You coach as long as you possibly can until you cannot do one more script, you can't walk out on the field for one more practice or do one more gameplan-that's when you know you should coach for two more years." pic.twitter.com/gaaOP2cxKi
— Alex Insdorf (@alexinsdorf99) September 19, 2025

Harbaugh Train Gains Steam

Jim Harbaugh is coaching his sixth NFL season and has reached one Super Bowl, with the San Francisco 49ers and QB Colin Kaepernick in 2012.

The Chargers are a dark horse Super Bowl contender this season with QB Justin Herbert enjoying a bevy of new weapons including workhorse rookie running back Omarion Hampton and returnee Keenan Allen.

Harbaugh was recently called the greatest head football coach in the history of the game by pundit Colin Cowherd, a distinction that many fans scoffed at.

The fact that Harbaugh's name was part of the conversation alone shows the strength of his resume and the football savant he has become over the course of his long and storied career.

The NFL's race to Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium in San Francisco is on. Harbaugh and his team have more than an outside shot to make it, and the team's coaching staff is a big reason why.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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