When the Los Angeles Chargers conducted their coaching search this offseason to replace the fired Brandon Staley, one of the coaches they interviewed was former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel.
Appearing on an episode of "Pardon My Take", Vrabel revealed that if not for Jim Harbaugh deciding to leave the college ranks in favor of a return to the NFL, he would be the Chargers' head coach right now.
The Chargers were fortunate enough to land the coach who had just won the national championship but were also enamored with Vrabel.
Mike Vrabel was almost head coach of the Chargers
From Mike Vrabel's Pardon My Take interview: he infers he was the runner-up to Jim Harbaugh for the #Chargers HC job. pic.twitter.com/ZIorrLoYoq
— Alex Insdorf (@alexinsdorf99) July 22, 2024
Those are big claims by Vrabel but he likely wouldn't be going on such a public forum if they weren't true. That could have led to a very different offseason for the Chargers.
Would they have taken Joe Alt at No. 5 overall in the draft? If they drafted Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze, they wouldn't have traded up in the second round to select Ladd McConkey.
The Chargers would look completely different right now, as would their outlook for the 2024 season.
Vrabel went 54-45 in six seasons as coach of the Titans. He is currently part of the Cleveland Browns' staff with the title of Coaching and personnel consultant. He will likely be up for an NFL job again in the future, but it likely won't be with the Chargers.
