HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Jim Harbaugh never played for Pete Carroll or coached under him.
However he has a strong sense their relationship would be quite different than it is now if he had those opportunities.
“I bet we would’ve been really good friends,” Harbaugh said. “I learned a lot from him, just watching him, but he’s always been on the other side.”
And now they are again when Harbaugh's Los Angeles Chargers visit Carroll's Las Vegas Raiders on Monday night, which also will be Carroll's 74th birthday.
It's their first meeting since Dec. 14, 2014, when Carroll's Seahawks defeated Harbaugh's 49ers 17-7 in Seattle.
Harbaugh then returned to his alma mater, coaching Michigan to the national championship in 2023 before coming back to the NFL. Carroll stayed in Seattle until the same year before leaving, taking a year off from coaching and then getting hired by Las Vegas.
Harbaugh shook his head “no” when asked if he texts with Carroll and noted he doesn't receive Christmas cards from him.
“Well, I’m surprised he would say that because he sends me a birthday card every year," Carroll said, jokingly.
Harbaugh was complimentary of Carroll while acknowledging they have butted heads over the years.
Carroll was in a jovial mood, speaking to reporters with tongue firmly planted in cheek regarding his history with Harbaugh.
“I have no fond memories,” Carroll said deadpanned. "I’m not going to go there. They’ve been great games, that’s all. There’s been a bunch of them.”
All the way back to the beginning of their rivalry.
Harbaugh became Stanford's coach in 2007, taking over a Cardinal program that went 1-11 the year before. Southern California, coached by Carroll, ruled the Pac-10 Conference at the time, the Trojans winning national championships in the 2003 and 2004 seasons and coming within a Vince Young-led Texas winning drive from doing so again in 2005.
Stanford was a 41-point underdog when it visited USC in 2007, but shocked the Trojans 24-23. Two years later, the Cardinal returned to the Coliseum and beat USC again, this time rolling to a 55-21 victory.
Not happy about a late 2-point conversion try by Stanford with the outcome long not in doubt, Carroll met Harbaugh in the middle of the field after the game and asked, “What's your deal?”
A coaching rivalry was born.
One that carried into the NFL when both were in the NFC West with Super Bowl-level teams. San Francisco or Seattle represented the NFC in the big game three consecutive seasons (2012-14).
“They both built great teams and had to go through one another to get to the Super Bowl,” Raiders quarterback Geno Smith said. “I watched those games. A lot of those games, they were very impressive games to watch.”
Carroll said at his introductory news conference in January that every day would be about competition, and he followed through on that. Harbaugh, now in his second season with the Chargers, has worked to establish a similar mindset.
“If you ask me why I do this, why most of us do it, at least speaking for myself, No. 1 on that list is competition," Harbaugh said. "I just love to compete. When you find others that are like that, too, then you have respect for them.
"It’s like looking in the mirror.”
Both coaches have both won big, and this game could be a pivotal early test for both.
The Chargers are trying to establish themselves as early contenders for the AFC West, and a victory over the Raiders would put them on that path after Los Angeles opened the season by defeating Kansas City 27-21. The Raiders opened their season with a 20-13 victory at New England, and a 2-0 start would serve notice that maybe Carroll will make Las Vegas a playoff contender in his first season.
“This is a division game and it’s the next game on our schedule and it’s a championship freaking game to me," Carroll said. "That’s the only way I’ve ever looked at these games. Is there some game that’s more important than another that you’re going to try harder because you’re playing somebody or somewhere? I don’t believe in that. We don’t talk like that.”
Even so, much of the attention figures to be on the coaches, and how they greet each other afterward will be closely watched.
Harbaugh said they've gotten along when football games haven't been in the way, and the mutual respect is clear.
“Just trying to win," Harbaugh said. "Just trying to beat him. It’s tough to do. Doing everything in our power to be tough to beat.”
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