Michigan head football coach Jim Harbaugh, who earlier this month led the Wolverines to a national championship, his crowning achievement during nine years with the program, is leaving his alma mater to return to the NFL, where he will coach the Los Angeles Chargers.

Harbaugh, 60, a former Michigan and NFL quarterback, was a first-round NFL Draft pick by Chicago in 1987 and spent two seasons (1999-2000) late in his career with the Chargers and made 17 starts.

“My love for Michigan, playing there and coming back to coach there, leaves a lasting impact,” Harbaugh said in a statement on the Chargers website. “I’ll always be a loyal Wolverine. I’m remarkably fortunate to have been afforded the privilege of coaching at places where life’s journey has created strong personal connections for me. From working as an assistant coach at Western Kentucky alongside my father, Jack, and time as an assistant with the Raiders, to being a head coach at USD, Stanford, the 49ers and Michigan — each of those opportunities carried significance, each felt personal. When I played for the Chargers, the Spanos family could not have been more gracious or more welcoming. Being back here feels like home, and it’s great to see that those things haven’t changed.”

He is expected to speak to the Michigan players on Friday, a source told The Detroit News.

“For the fans, the players, and for me personally, we are sad to hear of Jim’s departure,” University of Michigan president Santa Ono said in a statement. “His drive and ambition turned our program around, delivered our first national championship in a quarter century and maintained Michigan as the all-time winningest team in the history of college football. I thank Jim for all he has done for the University of Michigan and respect his decision. He has been an extraordinary leader and a friend. I will be cheering for Jim as he embarks on this next adventure.”

While mulling a contract extension offer from Michigan of six years and $11.5 million annually that would have made him the nation’s highest-paid college football coach, Harbaugh interviewed with the Chargers on Jan. 15, a week after the 15-0 Wolverines won the national championship with a 34-13 win over Washington on Jan. 8 and two days after a parade for the team in Ann Arbor and a celebration at the Crisler Center. It always seemed to be Chargers-or-Bust for Harbaugh, who also interviewed with the Atlanta Falcons on Jan. 16 and reportedly was scheduled for a second interview this week.

“We have been discussing a new contract that would make Jim the highest paid coach in college football,” Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said in a statement. “In the end, he wanted to explore and ultimately decided to pursue a return to coaching in the NFL. We can’t thank Jim enough for all that he has done for our student-athletes, staff and Michigan Football. He will always be a huge part of our rich history, and will be remembered as an all-time great Wolverine, as both a championship player and coach.

“Jim has always been extremely upfront with his communication regarding NFL opportunities and has been helpful with this transition in leadership. We had a great conversation tonight when he informed me of this decision to return to the NFL and offered his assistance in helping identify the needs for the program moving forward.”