Jim Harbaugh's head coaching debut was 20 years ago at USD - ESPN

JIM HARBAUGH WAS underqualified when he applied for the University of San Diego's head coaching job in late 2003 — and the panel interviewing him knew it.

«For the majority of the group, he was not the leading candidate,» Dan Yourg, USD's senior associate director of athletics for administration, said of the committee composed of Toreros administrators and players.

Harbaugh, then 39, had recently retired after playing 15 seasons in the NFL and was in his second season as an assistant quarterbacks coach with the Oakland Raiders. He had never been a head coach. Concern about his lack of experience prevailed.

But Harbaugh impressed the group with his enthusiasm and an unusual level of preparation. He knew everything about USD wide receiver Michael Gasperson — a member of the interview panel — from Gasperson's high school stats to how he planned to use him on offense.

«For someone that had played at the highest level… he had a humbleness about him, but also a great passion and plan,» Yourg said. «And again, had done his homework.»

But one moment from that interview still stands out to Yourg 20-plus years later. When asked about his objectives, Harbaugh told them his ultimate goal was to win a Super Bowl.

It was a surprising admission, considering Harbaugh was interviewing for a college job where he couldn't win a Super Bowl, but Yourg said it shed light on his commitment to winning. Harbaugh knew the first step toward his goal was becoming a head coach.

«He said that when he was coming down to interview, [Raiders owner] Al Davis said to him, 'You're interviewing at USD, not USC,' meaning 'What are you doing?'» Yourg said. «And Jim said, 'Yeah, this is what I want to do.'»

Harbaugh's personality and vision convinced the