Faithful Flashbacks #80: Jim Harbaugh’s Heated Handshake

The beginning of our "Faithful Flashbacks" series, listing the 80 best moments in San Francisco 49ers history in honor of their 80th NFL season.

BY BRENDEN NUNES

May 18, 2026, 9:44 AM Updated: May 19, 2026, 12:47 pm

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In honor of the San Francisco 49ers celebrating their 80th anniversary, Sactown Sports is kicking off a countdown of the 80 greatest moments in the franchise’s illustrious history in reverse order called “Faithful Flashbacks.”

From Super Bowl-winning plays to overperforming teams that had minimal expectations, there’s plenty to choose from the team with five titles under its belt.

The voting was conducted by a handful of the Sactown Sports’ staffers before results were compiled into a full list that will countdown to the 49ers’ 2026 NFL regular season debut against the Rams in Melbourne, Australia, on September 10th.

First up, at No. 80, is former head coach Jim Harbaugh’s viral handshake with Jim Schwartz.

Faithful Flashbacks -- San Francisco 49ers 80 Best Moments

In their first season under Harbaugh (2011), the San Francisco 49ers (4-1) were outperforming expectations early, heading into a game against the 5-0 Detroit Lions. Following the final whistle, a 25-19 victory for the Niners, Harbaugh rushed over to shake the head of then-Lions head coach Schwartz.

Well, apparently, it was a bit more aggressive than the Detroit coach would have preferred, and he elected to follow him before they got face-to-face.

10/16/2011: Throwback to the 49ers beating the Lions 25-19 to improve to 5-1 and the heated exchange between Jim Harbaugh and Jim Schwartz afterwardspic.twitter.com/UUxvpGyfNU

— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) June 19, 2025

“I was just really revved up, and it’s totally on me,” Harbaugh said after the game via SFGate. “I shook his hand too hard. I mean, I really went in, and it was a strong kind of a slap, grab handshake. It was kind of like the same as I’ve been doing with (some 49ers players). So, that was on me.”

Schwartz, meanwhile, recalled the interaction differently. “I went to congratulate coach Harbaugh and got shoved out of the way,” Schwartz said. “I didn’t expect an obscenity at that point, so it was a surprise to me at the end of the game.”

Harbaugh was fired up after a big win in his first season leading the 49ers, and the moment caught the attention of NFL fans as head coaches needing to be split up by players will always tend to do.

This moment comes in at No. 80 on Sactown Sports’ “Faithful Flashbacks,” counting down the 80 best moments in San Francisco’s franchise history leading up to opening day of their 80th season.