The Los Angeles Chargers saw their fourth-biggest turnaround in franchise history in 2024. After finishing 5-12 a year prior, the Chargers won 11 games and made the playoffs in year one under coach Jim Harbaugh.
This marked Harbaugh’s return to the NFL after a decade away from the league. Prior to his stint at Michigan that culminated in a national championship, Harbaugh spent four seasons with the San Francisco 49ers.
Advertisement
During his 49ers tenure, Harbaugh faced off against current Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid, first when Reid was head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Reid went from the Eagles to the Chiefs in 2013 and engineered a stark turnaround, similar to what Harbaugh did in year one in Los Angeles. Kansas City went from 2-14 in 2012 to 11-5 under Reid in 2013 and haven’t had a losing season since.
Harbaugh’s now a regular foe for Reid as the head coach of the Chargers. The two meet again in the opening week of the 2025 NFL season.
Andy Reid vs. Jim Harbaugh games
The two coaches have faced off four times. Here’s the result in each matchup:
Advertisement
-
Sept. 22, 2024: Kansas City Chiefs 17, Los Angeles Chargers 10
-
Dec. 8, 2024: Kansas City Chiefs 19, Los Angeles Chargers 17
The two coaches are an even 2-2 entering Week 1.
Jim Harbaugh coach record
It may be a surprise considering how long Harbaugh’s been in the national spotlight that he’s entering just his sixth year as an NFL head coach. Still, he’s made the most of that time as one of the best coaches in the league’s history in such a span.
-
Regular season record: 55-25-1
-
Winning percentage: 0.685 (No. 8 all-time)
Andy Reid coaching record
Reid, by contrast, has more than two decades of experience as a head coach in the NFL entering 2025. This will be his 27th season as an NFL head coach. That puts him in rare air as only five men have coached for longer: George Halas (40 seasons), Don Shula (33), Curly Lambeau (33), Bill Belichick (29) and Tom Landry (29).
Advertisement
Here’s how his numbers stack up all-time:
-
Regular season record: 273-146-1
-
Winning percentage: 0.651 (No. 19 all-time)
-
Super Bowls: 3 (2019, 2022, 2023)
Jim Harbaugh coaching tree
Harbaugh has a limited coaching tree in the NFL. Only Vic Fangio and Jim Tomsula have worked under Harbaugh and ended up as NFL head coaches in their careers.
Fangio went 19-30 as the head coach of the Denver Broncos from 2019 to 2021 and Tomsula went 5-11 as the 49ers’ head coach in 2015.
Andy Reid coaching tree
Reid has one of the most expansive coaching trees in the NFL along with the likes of Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay. Three current NFL coaches and many former coaches worked under Reid before taking a head coach job elsewhere.
Advertisement
Current coaches
Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills
McDermott’s first job in the NFL came as a scouting coordinator with the Eagles in 1999. In 2001, he moved over to the coaching staff as assistant to the head coach under Reid.
McDermott had five different roles with the Eagles through 2010, including two years as defensive coordinator (2009 and 2010). He followed fellow Reid disciple Ron Rivera to the Carolina Panthers where he spent six seasons as defensive coordinator ahead of his move to Buffalo.
John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens
Harbaugh actually predated Reid’s arrival in Philadelphia. He started out as the team’s special teams coordinator in 1998 and Reid retained him when he arrived in 1999.
Advertisement
Harbaugh stayed in that role through 2006 before moving to defensive backs coach in 2007. He took the Baltimore Ravens’ head coaching job one year later and only the Patriots, Packers and Steelers have won more games since he took over.
Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Bowles is more associated with Bruce Arians after coaching under him in both Arizona and Tampa Bay, where he succeeded him as head coach in 2022. But before working under Arians, Bowles spent a year with Reid in Philadelphia.
Bowles was the secondary coach and interim defensive coordinator in 2012. When the Eagles cleaned house after the 2012 season, Bowles was included and made his way to Arizona.
Advertisement
Former coaches:
-
Matt Nagy (Chicago Bears 2017-21)
-
Doug Pederson (Eagles 2016-20, Jacksonville Jaguars 2022-24)
-
Ron Rivera (Carolina Panthers 2011-19, Washington Football Team/Commanders 2020-23)
-
Pat Shurmur (Cleveland Browns 2011-12, New York Giants 2018-19)
-
Leslie Frazier (Minnesota Vikings 2011-13)
-
Steve Spagnuolo (St. Louis Rams 2009-11)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Andy Reid vs Jim Harbaugh: Records, results, head-to-head games