Jim Harbaugh Opens Up on Rivalry With Pete Carroll Ahead of Chargers-Raiders Clash

Monday's game between the Chargers and Raiders will mark the revival of the rivalry between Pete Carroll and Jim Harbaugh.

Carroll and Harbaugh have coached against each other at multiple stops throughout their head coaching careers. They were Pac-10 rivals while Carroll coached USC and Harbaugh was at Stanford, and then NFC West foes when Carroll went to the Seahawks and Harbaugh became the 49ers coach. With Harbaugh become the Chargers coach last year and Carroll taking on the Raiders' job this season, they will face off multiple times per year once again.

In previous NFL matchups, Carroll is 5–4 against Harbaugh, while in college, Harbaugh went 2–1 versus Carroll. Combined, they are an even 6–6 when facing each other as head coaches.

Ahead of the game, Harbaugh expressed great respect for Carroll and also reflected on their coaching journeys.

“He’s a great coach, one of the best," Harbaugh told reporters on Wednesday. "A lot of respect. I always thought if I had ever played for him or on one of his teams—because he was coaching when I was playing—or was on his staff once I got into coaching, I bet we would have been really good friends. I learned a lot from him just watching him. But he’s just always been on the other side. As a player, he was a defensive coordinator or head coach somewhere. Then when I was coaching, we were trying to gouge each other’s eyes out in the competitive spirit of that. It’s competition at the highest level and that’s what he’s all about. Pretty enthusiastic, too, I’ve noticed. Nothing but respect for that. Same person, same coach every day."

"Alas, we have been on opposite sides," Harbaugh said, "so I'm not on his Christmas card list."

As Harbaugh alludes to, it is easy to imagine he and Carroll could have been friends in an alternate universe in which they coached together. After all, both coaches are not only winners, but carry great energy and optimism in how they lead their teams. Even as two of the league's older coaches, they both show off their skills on the field in front of their players.

In this lifetime, however, the two coaches remain each other's counterparts, and should be extra motivated to get a win on Monday.