LAS VEGAS (AP) 鈥� Jim Harbaugh last month and to coach the Los Angeles Chargers.
He still agonizes over losing a Super Bowl with the San Francisco 49ers 11 years ago.
Harbaugh is in town and will be watching closely when on Sunday.
He was on the sideline coaching the 49ers when they rallied from a 28-6 second-half deficit only to fall short against his brother, John Harbaugh, and the Baltimore Ravens on Feb. 3, 2013.
Colin Kaepernick threw an incomplete pass to Michael Crabtree on fourth-and-5 from the 7 with under two minutes remaining in that game and the after taking a safety to secure the win.
鈥淭here鈥檚 probably not a day that goes by that I don鈥檛 think about that game and what we could鈥檝e done down at the end, (7) yards away from getting into the end zone,鈥� Harbaugh told The Associated Press on Friday. 鈥淵ou leave that field and you go, there might be other days. Then you start thinking that might be the only day. Just wanted another shot at it, take another crack. My brother, my best friend, I love him, I鈥檓 proud of him. He earned that and he deserved that and his team did. … When I say it motivates me every day, it鈥檚 every day.鈥�
Harbaugh, who played quarterback for two seasons with the Chargers when they were in San Diego, inherits a team that underachieved under previous coach Brandon Staley. Running back Austin Ekeler, who will be a free agent, believes the team needed a coach like Harbaugh who can inspire and motivate the players.
鈥淚鈥檝e heard great things about him. I鈥檝e heard about he鈥檚 a culture-starter, which is exactly what that team needs,鈥� Ekeler told the AP. 鈥淢y message for Jim if I鈥檓 on that team or not on that team is to make sure we鈥檙e holding ourselves to a high standard and the culture is about holding ourselves accountable and holding other players accountable because I think that was lacking last year.鈥�
Harbaugh inherits a franchise QB in Justin Herbert but still plans to emphasize running the ball. The Chargers had the 25th-ranked run offense in the NFL this season, when they finished 5-12.
鈥淚f things go well, it鈥檚 going to be because of guys like Austin Ekeler and the players,鈥� Harbaugh said. 鈥淚 like Austin Ekeler. We鈥檙e going to have a huge emphasis on the run game, and we gotta block better up front. He鈥檚 a tremendous back and we鈥檇 love to have him on the team next year. But yeah, things go well, it鈥檚 kind of because of all the players. If it goes bad, it鈥檚 because I鈥檓 a bad manager, I鈥檓 a bad coach.鈥�
Harbaugh hasn鈥檛 coached in the NFL since 2014. He was 44-19-1 in four seasons with the 49ers and led them to three straight NFC championship games, winning one.
The game has changed. There鈥檚 new technology and a greater use of analytics. Harbaugh plans to embrace all of it. He鈥檚 looking for whatever it takes to win, to gain even the slightest edge. Harbaugh was in Las Vegas working with Verizon, which deployed new coach-to-coach communications across each of the stadiums this season that will be used for the first time in a Super Bowl on Sunday.
鈥淭here鈥檚 places that this can go and where it鈥檚 going to be next year, you鈥檙e going to be a lot more advanced than this year,鈥� Harbaugh said. 鈥淭his AI technology. How does that relate to football and what tendencies and what film to watch and what blueprint you can get on a coordinator that you鈥檙e going up against. It鈥檚 going to take you to places that the human brain can鈥檛 go. There鈥檚 no question at the end of the day, it鈥檚 blocking and tackling, and toughness. But, you still have to dig for every minute possibility to be competitive and ultimately win because it鈥檚 that darn competitive at this level.鈥�
The 60-year-old Harbaugh has unfinished business in the NFL. He鈥檒l keep working to hoist that Vince Lombardi Trophy.
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Follow Rob Maaddi on Twitter at https://twitter.com/robmaaddi
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