-
Jamison Hensley
John Harbaugh is out as coach of the Baltimore Ravens, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Tuesday, ending the run of the most successful coach in franchise history.
His exit came two days after the Ravens lost to the rival Steelers in Pittsburgh, 26-24, after missing a last-second field goal, which eliminated them from the playoffs for the first time since 2021. Harbaugh had signed a three-year deal last offseason and was under contract through the 2028 season.
Multiple teams with head-coach openings now will readjust their boards and are expected to pursue Harbaugh, sources told Schefter.
The 64-year-old Harbaugh ranks 12th for most all-time wins by a head coach in NFL history with 193 and guided the Ravens to a Super Bowl title in 2012. In leading the Ravens for 18 seasons, he was the second-longest active tenured coach in the league behind Mike Tomlin, who is in his 19th season with the Steelers.
Lamar Jackson. In eight seasons with Jackson, Harbaugh only won three playoff games and never advanced past the AFC Championship Game.
Harbaugh’s final season in Baltimore proved to be one of his most challenging ones. The preseason betting favorite to win the Super Bowl, the Ravens (8-9) finished with a losing record for just the third time under Harbaugh.
The fan discontent in Baltimore grew throughout a season in which the Ravens went 3-6 at M&T Bank Stadium, which was the worst record at home in franchise history. Harbaugh was booed coming off the field after a 44-10 loss to the Houston Texans on Oct. 5, and there was a large number of empty seats for the final seven home games.
The criticism of Harbaugh increased after a 28-24 loss to the New England Patriots on Dec. 21, when running back Derrick Henry didn’t receive a carry in the final 12 minutes of the game despite Baltimore holding a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter.
In his final question after Sunday’s loss in Pittsburgh, Harbaugh was asked if he wanted another shot to coach the Ravens. «Yes, I love these guys,» he said.
When Baltimore hired Harbaugh in 2008, he was considered an outside-the-box hire because his expertise had been on special teams. In replacing Brian Billick, Harbaugh changed the culture and turned the Ravens into a perennial Super Bowl contender.
By making bold decisions and stressing a team-first mantra, he became the only coach in NFL history to win a playoff game in each of his first five seasons. He is also the only coach to guide a team to the AFC Championship Game three times in his first five years.
But playoff success has been a challenge lately, even with Jackson and a roster loaded with Pro Bowl players. Under Harbaugh, the Ravens have advanced past the divisional round only once since winning the Super Bowl 13 seasons ago.
Harbaugh leaves as the longest-tenured coach in Baltimore sports history and is one of eight coaches in NFL history to record 300 games with one team. He finished with a 193-124 record (.609), including the playoffs, and guided the Ravens to six AFC North titles, two No. 1 seeds and four trips to the AFC Championship Game. Baltimore has had just three losing seasons under Harbaugh — 2015, 2021 and 2025 — and each one included his starting quarterback being sidelined at least four games that year.
The Ravens have become one of the most sound franchises since relocating from Cleveland in 1996. Over the past 30 years, the Ravens have had three head coaches (Ted Marchibroda, Billick and Harbaugh), two general managers (Ozzie Newsome and Eric DeCosta) and two owners (Art Modell and Steve Bisciotti).
