As his former quarterback J.J. McCarthy is flying up mock draft boards, first-year Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh is putting down roots in Los Angeles as he readies himself to return to an NFL sideline after spending nearly a decade coaching Michigan. Somewhat predictably, the 60-year-old khaki pants enthusiast has started his life in LA living in an RV. And obviously, it’s a Ford.
Known for being somewhat of a hard-ass who loves nothing more than faith, family and football, Harbaugh told reporters at this week’s NFL league meetings that he’s been staying in an RV since moving from Michigan to LA and that it’s parked near the mobile home of Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman.
“I always wanted to do that (and live in an RV). It worked out great. I’m 100 feet from Greg Roman, who has a really, really good RV,” Harbaugh, with a cup of spent chewing tobacco in front of him, told MLive. “In the RV world, I’m not as fancy. My Ford Motorcoach hits me just right. It’s been awesome. Yeah, it’s been really good. I go back there, it’s a good time to think. It’s just been great.”
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The former quarterback also wants Belichick buddy Nick Saban to join Omaha ProductionsThe RV has been part of Harbaugh’s game plan since he was hired by the Chargers in late January, as he revealed at his introductory press conference. Speaking to the media in February, Harbaugh said he planned to have his “tough as a two-dollar steak” brother-in-law drive the RV out from Michigan to Southern California over the winter and park the vehicle in a trailer park down by the water or near Disneyland. Apparently, the desire to live that way had something to do with channeling TV character Jim Rockford from the ’70s drama series The Rockford Files.
Now, with winter drawing to a close and April’s draft rapidly approaching, Harbaugh’s RV lifestyle is living on borrowed time as his family will be LA-bound fairly soon. Once they arrive, he will be departing from the Ford.
“Now that’s coming to an end — happily coming to an end — because my family is coming to California,” Harbaugh, who makes $16 million per year and can afford a condo at the very least, said. “They’re all here on this trip, and we’re all going to California together. We’ll be moving into our rental house and that’s even better.”
Roman hasn’t commented on the situation, but we’d wager he’s not too broken up about his Rockford Files-loving boss no longer being his neighbor.
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