Baltimore Ravens fired head coach John Harbaugh after 18 seasons, according to multiple reports Tuesday.
Harbaugh is the most successful coach in franchise history and the franchise's second-longest tenured head coach. NFL before his dismissal. Ironically, his final game with the Ravens came against the only player ahead of him in terms of tenure: Mike Tomlin, who managed the Pittsburgh Steelers for 19 seasons.
Under Harbaugh, the Ravens enjoyed sustained success, making the playoffs in 12 of his 18 seasons and winning the AFC North Division six times. Harbaugh led his team to Super Bowl XLVII in the 2012 season, winning the title from his brother Jim in what was colloquially known as “Harbowl”.
Overall, however, most of Harbaugh's playoff success came early in his tenure. In his first five years as head coach, the Ravens made the AFC Championship three times, but only once in subsequent seasons. And this despite the presence two-time MVP guard Lamar Jackson at the center of many of these seasons.
The 2025 season was perhaps the most disappointing of his career. The Ravens started the season as Super Bowl favorites but finished 8–9, missing the playoffs after late missed field goal on Sunday against the Steelers, their bitter division rivals.
Last offseason, Harbaugh signed a three-year contract extension through the 2028 season. The 63-year-old ranks 12th all-time in wins by an NFL head coach. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Harbaugh's next job could be as a TV media analyst, a position that was also in the cards for Tomlin if he ended up losing in Sunday's season finale and was subsequently fired.
