Gutierrez: Carroll vs. Harbaugh Round 7 comes to Las Vegas

Sep 11, 2025 at 04:58 PM

Paul Gutierrez

Raiders Columnist

"I think we would have been pretty good friends but, alas, we have been on opposite sides. So, I'm not on his Christmas card list." - Jim Harbaugh

"I'm surprised he would say that, because he sends me a birthday card every year." - Pete Carroll

Yeah, it's a unique and complicated relationship, one built on equal parts playful contempt and compulsive competition.

With a dash of respect.

One that gained steam in school with the biggest upset in college football history, way back in 2007, continued two years later with the query heard 'round the football world – "What's your deal?" – and reached its apex in the 2013 NFC title game.

Ready or not, the reboot drops Monday night at Allegiant Stadium.

That's when Carroll, in the Silver and Black corner, with navy, action green and wolf grey trunks with cardinal and gold accents, plays host to Harbaugh, coming out of the powder blue, white and gold corner, with scarlet and gold trunks and cardinal red and white accents.

Raiders vs. Chargers? No doubt. But also, Carroll vs. Harbaugh, Round 7, toting every piece of baggage from their previous coaching stops. And yes, in head-to-head games as coaches, the two are (checks notes) an even 6-6.

What's your deal, indeed.

"I always think that had I ever played for him, on one of his teams, because he was coaching when I was playing, or was on his staff, once I got into coaching, I bet we would have been, like, really good friends," Harbaugh said earlier this week. "I learned a lot from him, just watching him, but he's just always been on the other side.

"When I was a player, he was a defensive coordinator or head coach somewhere. And then when I was coaching, we were just trying to gouge each other's eyes out…in the competitive spirit of that."

Harbaugh's Cheshire cat grin said more. Much more.

A history lesson, then.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Harbaugh, as a quarterback for the Bears and Colts, seven times went up against Carroll, who, in that time frame, worked as a defensive backs coach for the Vikings and was later the Jets defensive coordinator and head coach before becoming the Patriots coach. Harbaugh started four of those games and Carroll's teams won three of them. In fact, Carroll the head coach was 3-0 against Harbaugh the quarterback.

Flash forward to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Oct. 6, 2007.

USC, which had won consecutive national championships in 2003 and 2004 and was a first down away from a three-peat under Carroll while birthing a trio of Heisman winners in Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush, was a 41-point favorite over Stanford.

Harbaugh, who had just been hired at Stanford when he stirred the pot by saying he heard Carroll would only be with the Trojans for one more year, led the Cardinal to a last-minute 24-23 victory over No. 2-ranked USC to end its 35-game home winning streak.

Two years later, and on the same field, Harbaugh's Cardinal waxed Carroll's Trojans, 55-21, leading to the tense exchange at midfield.

"How are you feeling?" the usually unflappable Carroll asked. "Are you all right?"

The ultra-intense Harbaugh, who had just mocked the Trojans for "running in" off the field before the clock struck zero, seemed confused.

"Yeah, I'm great," Harbaugh answered. "What's your deal?"

It was a viral moment before viral moments were described as such, a meme before memes were known.

Carroll was in the NFL with the Seahawks the next year, and Harbaugh followed him to the NFC West with the 49ers, yup, one year later.

Twice a year they faced off from 2011-2014, the two splitting eight regular season meetings. But Carroll's Seahawks won the big one, that epic NFC title game, en route to a Super Bowl XLVIII victory.

With Harbaugh returning to college in 2015 with Michigan – the Wolverines won a natty in 2023 – and returning to the NFL last season with the Chargers, this is the first time he will be on an opposite sideline from Carroll since 2014.

Rivalry much?

"I have no fond memories, so I'm not going to go there," Carroll said with a twinkle in his eye. "They've been great games, that's all. There's been a bunch of them."

When told Harbaugh said they could have been really great friends had they ever shared a sideline, Carroll couldn't, or wouldn't resist.

"He's seen my game, and so he would like me to help him win, if I could," Carroll said. "So, he'd like us to play together, I guess.

"But one thing we would certainly see eye to eye on is about competing. He's always been a great competitor. He battled through so much in his playing days and in his coaching days as well. So, I appreciate him saying that because I'd like to play with him, too."

Maybe a Monday night game of catch at midfield?

After all, it's Carroll's 74th birthday, and depending upon whom you believe, Harbaugh owes him a birthday card.