The former Bears quarterback, 40, is preparing for his first season as the head coach at the University of San Diego.
Q. After 15 seasons of playing in the NFL, what has been the most difficult part of making the transition to coaching Division I-AA football?
A. You can’t spend as much time with the players as you would like because of the rules. In the summer, you teach them daily, but you are not even allowed to work with them with a football. The fun part is being out there on the field and spending time with the kids. I feel energized. I am as excited for this season coming up as I have been for the start of any season.
Q. How would you describe your coaching style? Will you get in the face of your quarterbacks like Mike Ditka did with you?
A. Only when they screw up. Actually, I am really hands-on. It is a game played by emotional people, and I am an emotional guy. I coach aggressively because I want them to play aggressively. I guess I yell a lot. But I always try to yell something positive with the kids.
Q. Your first seven NFL seasons were with the Bears, where you passed for a career-high 3,121 yards in 1991. What did you take away from your playing experience with the Bears?
A. I remember most just playing for a team with a great tradition. I cherish the relationships I made with guys on the team, coaches there and people in the city. There is just something about the pride of being a Chicago Bear. That is something that will stay with me forever.
Q. In 1995 with the Colts, you achieved career highs in completion percentage (63.7) and touchdown passes (17). Was the Colts’ offense better suited to your talents?
A. I thought it was. Lindy Infante, just from a technical standpoint in football, was great. Having Marshall Faulk was big. Sometimes for a quarterback, it is a function of who else is on the team.
Q. Who would you consider your mentors when it comes to coaching?
A. Probably a combination of my dad, Bo Schembechler, Mike Ditka, Lindy Infante, Ted Marchibroda, Mike Riley, Ron Turner … I have taken so much from each one of those guys. My dad (Jack Harbaugh) is on my staff. He took a leave of absence (from Western Kentucky) to work here at USD for four months.
Q. The last time the University of San Diego advanced to the postseason was in 1973, when the team lost 21-14 to Wittenberg. What is your biggest challenge with this year’s Toreros team that finished 8-2 last year?
A. We really revamped the schedule to play a lot tougher competition. We start with Azusa Pacific, which is a Division II team in NAIA. Then we play Princeton and Penn and Holy Cross. Penn hasn’t lost in 19 games. And the University of Dayton is really good, so we are playing a little bit over our heads for a while. But it will really help the program.
Q. What are your thoughts regarding Bears quarterback Rex Grossman?
A. I just remember (as the quarterbacks coach of the Oakland Raiders) going to the NFL rookie combine and interviewing Grossman. I remember his demeanor and the kind of quiet confidence that he had. He wasn’t a guy who would get really rattled. I always liked his competitiveness, just watching him on film. It will be a little bit of an adjustment for him coming from Florida. That is not exactly a pro-style offense like a lot of people think it is.
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