The Baltimore Ravens fired onetime Super Bowl-winning coach John Harbaugh on Tuesday.
The move came two days after Baltimore’s season-ending 26-24 loss at Pittsburgh to hand the Steelers the AFC North title and final playoff berth.
Following initial reports that the sides had split, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti released a statement saying he decided to “make a change at head coach” despite “the tremendous 18 years we have spent together.”
“Our goal has always been and will always be to win Championships,” Bisciotti wrote. “We strive to consistently perform at the highest level on the field and be a team and organization our fans take pride in. “I will always be grateful for the extraordinary hard work and dedication displayed by John and his staff throughout the many successful years. …
“We fully understand the expectations of our fans and everyone in the Ravens organization. Finding another strong leader and partner who will reflect these high standards is paramount.”
Harbaugh spent 18 years leading Baltimore, making him the second-longest tenured head coach in the league behind only Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin.
The move means Baltimore is one of seven head-coaching vacancies in the NFL, joining Arizona, Atlanta, Cleveland, Las Vegas, Tennessee and the New York Giants.
It also has the potential to shake up the coaching carousel, as a veteran head coach with 180 wins and a Super Bowl ring is now on the market.
Harbaugh, 63, became the Ravens’ head coach in 2008 after a stint as special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. In his fifth season on the job, Baltimore beat Peyton Manning’s Colts and Tom Brady’s Patriots to get to Super Bowl XLVII, where the Joe Flacco-led Ravens beat the San Francisco 49ers 34-31 in a classic.
It was a matchup between brothers, as John’s brother Jim Harbaugh was the head coach of the Niners.
In 18 seasons under John Harbaugh, Baltimore finished with fewer than eight wins only once. The Ravens made the postseason 12 times, but they have not been back to the Super Bowl since the February 2013 game.
Harbaugh has come under scrutiny for failing to get Baltimore far in the playoffs while the team has two-time league MVP Lamar Jackson at quarterback and a perennially strong defense. The Ravens added star running back Derrick Henry in 2024, and in 2025 they had the No. 2 rushing offense in the NFL (156.6 yards per game) and the No. 11 scoring offense (24.9 ppg) but still finished 8-9.
The Ravens lined up for a 44-yard field goal attempt to beat the Steelers on Sunday night, but Tyler Loop’s kick missed wide right. Harbaugh was questioned for burning the preceding play with a kneeldown rather than trying to gain better field position to take stress off his rookie kicker.
“I don’t think it was a bad decision,” Harbaugh said afterward.
Harbaugh leaves Baltimore with a 180-113 record in the regular season and a 13-11 mark in the playoffs. His eight road playoff wins as a head coach are an NFL record.
–Field Level Media
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