LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Pete Carroll and Jim Harbaugh have spent years on opposite sidelines, clashing in games that have defined both college football and the NFL. On Monday night, their rivalry takes center stage once again when Carroll’s Raiders host Harbaugh’s Chargers at Allegiant Stadium.
The two first crossed paths in the Pac-12, when Carroll built a powerhouse at USC and Harbaugh revived a struggling Stanford program. Their most memorable early exchange came after Stanford’s stunning 24-23 win over USC in 2007, and a blowout two years later that left Carroll bristling. The postgame handshake turned into a viral moment when Carroll asked Harbaugh, “What’s your deal?”
VIDEO: Taylor Rocha reports the latest on the Raiders' Pete Carroll and Chargers' Jim Harbaugh's going head-to-head on Monday night
That tension carried into the NFL, where Carroll’s Seahawks and Harbaugh’s 49ers delivered some of the league’s most intense matchups. The teams split their regular-season games evenly during Harbaugh’s four years in San Francisco.
“There’s been a bunch of them,” Carroll said of those meetings. “I have no fond memories, so I’m not going to go there," he joked.
Despite the fierce competition, both coaches admit there’s a level of respect — and humor — that’s always lingered. Harbaugh said this week, “I always thought if I had ever played for him or on one of his teams, I bet we would have been really good friends." He added: "I’m not on his Christmas card list.”
The next day, Carroll countered with a grin: “I’m surprised he would say that, because he sends me a birthday card every year.”
Banter aside, both men remain defined by their drive to win. “One thing we would certainly see eye to eye on is about competing,” Carroll said. “He’s always been a great competitor.”
Carroll, 73, is trying to revive a Raiders franchise that has reached the playoffs just twice in the past 22 seasons. Harbaugh, 61, is in his first year with the Chargers after leading Michigan to a national championship in 2024. Both teams enter Monday’s matchup 1-0.
Only one will leave Allegiant Stadium unbeaten — and with a fresh edge in a rivalry that refuses to fade.
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