The last time Jim and Jay Harbaugh were on opposing coaching staffs, more than a decade ago, was in Super Bowl XLVII when Jim was the head coach of the 49ers, while his son, Jay, was just beginning his career as an offensive quality control coach for the Ravens, working under his uncle, John Harbaugh, who is still the head coach of the Ravens.
On Saturday, Jay and Jim Harbaugh will be on opposite sidelines once again, though this time in different roles and with considerably lower stakes as the Chargers host the Seahawks in each team's preseason opener.
Jim Harbaugh, who spent the past nine seasons as the head coach at the University of Michigan, was named the head coach of the Chargers this offseason, while Jay, who also spent nine seasons at Michigan on his dad's coaching staff, was hired by Mike Macdonald as Seattle's special teams coordinator earlier this year.
And while neither father nor son will make too big of a deal about facing off in a preseason game, it will be a nice moment when the two can catch up pregame for a few moments.
"It'll be fun to see what they're building there with him, and then a bunch of other guys I'm familiar with," Jay Harbaugh said. "So it'll be cool to see them in pregame and all that and it's just neat to see them in that first step just like us, that first step on a journey where you're trying to build a championship team, and it'll be neat to see in person."
For almost a decade, Jay Harbaugh could pick his dad's brain about football, life or any other topic on a daily basis as the two worked in close proximity. They may work a thousand miles apart now, but their relationship hasn't changed much, and fortunately for both, playing in different conferences and not facing each other in the regular season makes for less guarded conversations.
"Football tends to always find its way into the conversation," Jay Harbaugh said. "It's kind of always been that way, and it's nice that we don't play them on the schedule during the regular season, so some of those things can happen. I think he's the best coach in the world, and I enjoy being able to, just like I used to, ask him for advice and learn from him. I had the benefit of being able to do that at Michigan for a while. That was a dream come true and to be able to continue that is really awesome."
For Jim Harbaugh, facing his son's new team Saturday will be a special day as well, and he also expects his son to have the Seahawks well prepared on special teams.
"Can't wait," Jim Harbaugh told reporters in Los Angeles Thursday. "Miss him. Miss Jay, miss Jacob and Norma and Brhitney, but very proud. Very proud of Jay and what he's accomplished, what he's accomplishing now. I know it's very going to be a real competition and real test for our special teams unit. I know he's going to bring it. It's really good for us. At the same time, son Jay, that's going to be cool. We've been on opposite sidelines two or three other times, but it's all love."
That Jay and Jim Harbaugh aren't coaching together this season might come as a surprise to some after they spent nearly a decade together at Michigan. But as Jay Harbaugh detailed not long after he got hired, the right opportunity came along, working under Mike Macdonald, for him to want to leave the comfort of working on his dad's coaching staff. Macdonald and Harbaugh worked together briefly in Baltimore early in their careers, and formed a friendship that endured, making the Seahawks job the rare one that would make Jay want to take a job away from his dad and uncle.
"Working with my dad at Michigan was probably the best nine years of my life and that was something that was really special to me and an opportunity that not everybody gets that chance to do what they love with a mom or a dad or an uncle or whatever it might be," Jay Harbaugh said in February. "That's really special, and I'm really thankful for that chance that I had. It was kind of the thing where I would have never have wanted to go my own way unless it really made sense, and all of the ways I kind of talked about earlier with this franchise, the direction I know that Mike is going to take it, all of the fantastic people in the front office being so proven and excellent at what they do. It just kind of made sense, and really thankful for the time that we had together at Michigan.
"It was the kind of thing where taking this step, it really depended on being right the opportunity and Michigan is a place that I love dearly, and I was not looking to leave there. There were certain things that I wanted to be a part of, and obviously was able to do those things, which was very special. You're always seeking out that next challenge, the next opportunity, and you hope that those things jive with what's best for your family. All of those things kind of aligned, and then to be able to do it with Mike was something that was really special as an opportunity."
The Seahawks hit the practice field to prepare for their upcoming preseason debut vs. the L.A. Chargers on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) and quarterback PJ Walker (15) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. (81) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks linebacker Tyrice Knight (48) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks safety Marquise Blair (13) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (10) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (14) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen (27) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen (27) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks cornerback/safety Coby Bryant (8) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks nose tackle Jarran Reed (90) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks linebacker Boye Mafe (53) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks quarterback Sam Howell (6) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
NFL Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy at practice at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (14) with NFL Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy at practice at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (14) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks punter Michael Dickson (4) and kicker Jason Myers (5) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks punter Michael Dickson (4) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks punter Michael Dickson (4) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks quarterback Sam Howell (6) and running back Zach Charbonnet (26) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks running back George Holani (36) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks quarterback Sam Howell (6) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks quarterback PJ Walker (15) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks wide receiver Hayden Hatten (84) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (14) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald with Leslie Frazier and NFL Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy at practice at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks linebacker Tyrel Dodson (0) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks tight end Noah Fant (87) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks linebacker Patrick O'Connell (50) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks defensive tackle Byron Murphy II (91) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett (28) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks safety Julian Love (20) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen (27) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen (27) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) with offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks cornerback Michael Jackson (30) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks safety K'Von Wallace (24) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks safety K'Von Wallace (24) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks linebacker Tyrice Knight (48) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks safety Rayshawn Jenkins (2) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen (27) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (14) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
NFL Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy at practice at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
NFL Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy at practice at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
NFL Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy at practice at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (10) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen (27) practiced at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on August 8, 2024.
