Jim Harbaugh sends funny warning to Chargers players

Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh reacts during organized team activities at the Hoag Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Jim Harbaugh and the Los Angeles Chargers are winning a huge array of plaudits for their turnaround this season, but Harbaugh really does not want to hear it.

Harbaugh had a firm response to those pundits that are full of praise for the Chargers, who are 7-3 in his first season as head coach. According to Harbaugh, that sort of praise should be met with a kick in the shin to avoid getting too soft.

“That kind of success can fuel you. It can be like an ‘attaboy,'” Harbaugh said Wednesday. “The other side of that coin is, I just go back to what my college coach, Bo Schembechler, used to say. ‘When people are giving you accolades and compliments and telling you you’ve arrived, kick them in the shins. You kick them right in the shins, that’s what you do.’ Those accolades could come from people you don’t know, could come from the media, could come from your teammates, could come from friends, could come from your own family. They’re trying to make you soft. Kick them in the shins.”

Jim Harbaugh on media praise of the 7-3 Chargers: "When people are giving you accolades and compliments and telling you you've arrived, kick them in the shins. You kick them right in the shins, that's what you do."

"They're trying to make you soft." pic.twitter.com/I6ErWqgWqG

— Alex Insdorf (@alexinsdorf99) November 20, 2024

This is essentially Harbaugh’s version of Nick Saban’s famous “rat poison.” We are assuming Harbaugh is not literally advocating that his players kick family members in the shins over praise, but he absolutely does not want his team getting too comfortable with their newfound status as a league darling. The coach might not even be entirely comfortable with how fans have responded to Sunday’s dramatic victory.

The Chargers went just 5-12 last season, and Harbaugh deserves plenty of praise for surpassing that win total already. Their schedule gets tough down the stretch, but they are positioned for a playoff appearance if they can maintain their momentum.