The Ravens parted ways with longtime coach John Harbaugh on Tuesday after 180 regular season wins, 18 seasons, six AFC North titles and one Super Bowl victory. Harbaugh’s brother Jim, speaking to reporters about the news on Wednesday, doesn’t believe it will take long for his brother to land on his feet. Oh, and whomever the elder Harbaugh brother ends up coaching in 2026, his younger brother hopes that he doesn’t end up in the same conference once again.
“John Harbaugh is the best coach I know, the best coach I’ve ever seen,” Harbaugh said, according to Daniel Popper of The Athletic. “... And as I told him, whatever team he goes to is going to be formidable and I just hope it's in the NFC.”
Harbaugh confidently added that he believes his brother will “be a head coach next year.”
Harbaugh, planning to coach in 2026, draws no shortage of interest from NFL teams
Sources told Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated that Harbaugh, 63, has designs on coaching in 2026—and it looks like the Super Bowl-winning coach won't have to wait long to secure employment.
There are currently six head coaching vacancies in the NFL outside of Balitmore—the Giants, Falcons, Cardinals, Browns, Raiders and Titans—and at least seven teams reportedly contacted Harbaugh’s agent in the first hour following the news of the end of his tenure with the Ravens, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. At least one team that currently employs a head coach inquired about Harbaugh, meaning the market for the longtime Baltimore coach figures to be more than robust. He is reportedly believed to be the favorite in the Giants’ coaching search.
The apparent frenzy of interest in Harbaugh’s services begs one question, though.
Why did the Ravens fire John Harbaugh?
There have been varying accounts from NFL insiders on just why the Ravens decided to part ways with the second-longest tenured coach in the league and one of the very best in the business. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that the Ravens believed Harbaugh had “lost the locker room” and that he and star quarterback Lamar Jackson were not aligned. The Athletic, somewhat in conjunction with that reporting, spoke of Harbaugh’s reluctance to move on from offensive coordinator Todd Monken, who reportedly had an awkward dynamic with Jackson, as one of the reasons for his eventual firing. ESPN’s Adam Schefter disputed Rapaport’s reporting, believing the dismissal was more of a simple reset for both parties after a long, successful tenure.
Of Harbaugh’s dismissal from Baltimore, two things are certain. The Ravens, whether due to Harbaugh’s lack of recent playoff success, his loss of the locker room or other reasons, desired a fresh start for its organization. And Harbaugh, as his brother stated with conviction, is almost certainly going to be pacing the sidelines as an NFL head coach in 2026.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jim Harbaugh Makes Confident Prediction After Ravens Fire Brother John Harbaugh.
