Jim Harbaugh's son joins NFC coaching staff rather than continue working for father

Following his four-season run as the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers from 2011-14, Jim Harbaugh was hired as Michigan's new lead man in December 2014. The 60-year-old's son was brought on in January 2015 and began as the team's tight ends coach and as an assistant special teams coach for two seasons.

The now-34-year-old remained with his father throughout his nine seasons with the Wolverines, serving as the running backs and special teams coach from 2017-2020, tight ends and special teams coach again in 2021 and the safeties and special teams coach in 2022 and 2023.

The younger Harbaugh also worked under his uncle, John Harbaugh, for three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens from 2012-14. He spent his final year in Baltimore working with Mike Macdonald, who served as an intern in 2014.

While Harbaugh worked for his father in Michigan, Macdonald was a member of John Harbaugh's staff through the 2023 campaign, except for the 2021 season.

Macdonald rose from intern to defensive assistant (2015-16) and was then the team's defensive backs coach in 2017. The Boston, Massachusetts native served as the Ravens linebackers coach from 2018-2020 before joining the Wolverines in 2021 as their defensive coordinator.

Macdonald then jumped back to the NFL and the Ravens, earning a reputation as one of the game's best defensive coordinators from 2021-23. He was hired as the Seattle Seahawks head coach last week, becoming the youngest in the league for the role at 36 years old.

It was reported as recently as late last week that Jay Harbaugh was expected to join his father with the Los Angeles Chargers but it now seems that he'll be reuniting with Macdonald in Seattle instead.