Stephen A. Smith: Chargers could win Super Bowl in 'about two years' with this HC

As Jim Harbaugh prepares Michigan for a clash against Washington in the CFP national championship game on Jan. 8., Stephen A. Smith is already doling out career advice for the coach's next job.

With Harbaugh's coaching future at Michigan clouded in doubt, Smith suggested he return to the NFL — and California — as HC of the Los Angeles Chargers. The 60-year-old coached the 49ers from 2011-14, leading San Francisco to three NFC Championship games and the Super Bowl in 2012. 

"If he wins the national championship, go ahead and take the Chargers job in the National Football League," Smith said of Harbaugh on "The Stephen A. Smith Show." "We all know he loves Justin Herbert."

It's hard not to love the idea of having Herbert as your franchise quarterback. Before being shut down for the season after undergoing surgery on a broken finger in Week 14, the 25-year-old had thrown for 3,134 yards, 20 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. Harbaugh hasn't been shy about giving the young signal-caller his due praise, with ESPN’s Mike Greenberg revealing last month a private conversation he had with the Michigan coach.

"We were just talking about how great the young quarterback play is in the National Football League," Greenberg said on the "Pat McAfee Show." "All these great young quarterbacks: [Joe] Burrow, [Patrick] Mahomes … He spent five minutes telling me that he thinks that Justin Herbert is the best of all of them. He loves Herbert."

With Harbaugh and Herbert leading the charge, Smith believes the Chargers would be can't-miss entertainment. 

"There's a lot of things to do in the Los Angeles area, you don't need to go watch the Chargers," Smith said. "They need to be incentivizing us to do so, and hiring Harbaugh will pull that off. Because I believe if they hired him they'll instantly be better, they'll instantly make the playoffs. And I think with Harbaugh as the head coach, with Justin Herbert as his quarterback, I think they'd have a chance to win the Super Bowl in about two years, if not sooner."

It remains to be seen, however, if Harbaugh would even consider the Chargers open coaching job. According to NFL Network, Michigan offered him a 10-year, $125-million contract extension, but with one twist: he would not be allowed to entertain any NFL job offers for the 2024 season.

The Chargers, meanwhile, are in desperate need of a new head coach after firing HC Brandon Staley and GM Tom Telesco following an embarrassing 63-21 loss to the Raiders. Patriots HC Bill Belichick, Lions OC Ben Johnson and Cowboys DC Dan Quinn are several names that have additionally been floated as possible fits.