The odds of becoming an NFL head coach are very low. The odds of two brothers both becoming NFL head coaches are insanely low. And the odds of those two brothers both becoming NFL head coaches at the same time and simultaneously being regarded as elite at their profession are, well, infinitesimal.
However, that’s exactly what Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh and Baltimore Ravens head coach Jim Harbaugh have done, as they are considered two of the best coaches in the NFL. Let’s examine the Harbaugh’s dynamic and how they got to this point.
Are Jim Harbaugh and John Harbaugh Brothers?
Yes, Jim and John are brothers. They are the only pair of brothers who have made it to the NFL as head coaches.
John, the Ravens’ head coach, is 62 years old and the older of the two brothers. Jim, the Chargers’ head coach, is 60 years old.
The two brothers have both shared immense success in the NFL ranks. Let’s revisit their respective coaching careers.
John Harbaugh’s Coaching Career
John was born in Toledo, Ohio, on Sept. 23, 1962. After playing high school football at Pioneer High School in Michigan, John received a partial scholarship to Miami (OH), where he played defensive back, earned a degree in political science, and won the Football Scholar-Athlete Award.
John got his first coaching job on his father’s staff at Western Michigan, serving as the team’s running backs coach and outside linebackers coach. After assistant-coaching stints at Pittsburgh, Morehead State, Cincinnati, and Indiana, John got his first NFL coaching gig as the special teams coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles. He was with the Eagles from 1998 to 2007, and he was eventually promoted to the team’s defensive backs coach.
Then, his career really took off.
The Ravens fired head coach Brian Billick after finishing 5-11 in 2007, the franchise’s third playoff-less campaign in four years. Less than a month later, on Jan. 19, 2008, Baltimore made Harbaugh the third head coach in franchise history.
In the nearly two decades since his hiring, Harbaugh has established himself as one of the best and most consistent coaches in the NFL.
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Under Harbaugh, the Ravens have a 167-103 record in the regular season, and a 12-10 record in the playoffs. Baltimore has qualified for the postseason in 11 of Harbaugh’s first 16 seasons on the job and has only twice finished with a sub-.500 record (2015 and 2021).
However, it’s important to note that superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson missed five games due to injury in 2021. Had he stayed healthy, the Ravens likely would’ve finished better than 8-9.
Along the way, Harbaugh has won five AFC North titles, coached in four AFC Championship Games (including in his first year on the job), won the 2019 NFL Coach of the Year award, and, most importantly, led the Ravens to a victory in Super Bowl 47.
Though far from a perfect coach, Harbaugh has succeeded in imbuing the Ravens with a physical, intimidating identity while ensuring they’re always fundamentally sound. Opponents always know they’re in for a tough game when they face Baltimore, and Harbaugh is a big reason for that.
Still just 62 years old, John has many years of coaching left in him — if he so desires — and has a strong chance of finishing as one of the 10 winningest coaches in NFL history.
Jim Harbaugh’s Coaching Career
Born on Dec. 23, 1963, Jim is the younger brother and the only one who played professional football.
Jim was also a first-round pick in the 1987 NFL Draft, and he played 14 seasons in the NFL. He became a Pro Bowler, won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award, and is in the Indianapolis Colts’ Ring of Honor.
Now, he’s a household name as a head coach — known for his mercurial personality, unique fashion sense, inscrutable press conferences, and, of course, being one of the best football coaches on Earth.
Jim spent the final eight seasons of his playing career (1994-2001) also working as an unpaid offensive consultant under his father, Jack Harbaugh, at Western Kentucky University. Jack Harbaugh was WKU’s head coach for 14 years.
Jim became a full-time coach in 2002 when he joined the Raiders as a quarterbacks coach, a position he held through 2003. Under Harbaugh’s tutelage, QB Rich Gannon won the 2002 NFL MVP award and led the Raiders to Super Bowl 37 (where they lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers).
Harbaugh left the Raiders in 2004 to become head coach at San Diego State University. He turned the program around, leading the Aztecs to a 29-6 record in three seasons while winning back-to-back Pioneer League championships.
Jim then became one of the faces of college football while coaching Stanford University from 2007 through 2010.
The Cardinal went 9-15 and didn’t qualify for a bowl game in Harbaugh’s first two seasons on the job. But Stanford went 8-5, including a loss in the Sun Bowl in 2009, before going 12-1 and winning the Orange Bowl in 2010.
Harbaugh and Andrew Luck arguably were the best head coach-quarterback duo in the country.
Harbaugh entered the 2011 offseason as one of the top candidates in the NFL’s hiring cycle, and he found a new home in San Francisco.
The 49ers had fired head coach Mike Singletary during the 2010 season and replaced him with interim coach Jim Tomsula. Then, on Jan. 7, 2011, San Francisco hired Harbaugh just four days after he won the Orange Bowl.
The 49ers, who went 6-10 in 2010, experienced an immediate turnaround.
With Harbaugh leading the way, San Fran went 13-3 in 2011, 11-4-1 in 2012, and 12-4 in 2013. The 49ers appeared in the conference championship each season, winning a matchup with the Atlanta Falcons in 2012 before falling to the Ravens in Super Bowl 47.
However, rumors of a power struggle between Harbaugh and members of the 49ers front office led to a drama-filled 2014 season that saw the Niners go 8-8 and miss the playoffs. Harbaugh left the franchise after the season to become head coach at Michigan University, his alma mater.
Harbaugh coached the Wolverines from 2015 through 2023 and enjoyed great success, depending on your perspective. Michigan went 74-25 in Harbaugh’s first eight seasons on the job but just 1-6 in bowl games, with the lone victory coming in his first campaign.
However, Harbaugh broke through in 2023, leading the Wolverines to a 15-0 record and a national championship despite serving two separate three-game suspensions, one for recruiting violations and the other for a sign-stealing scandal.
Harbaugh made his long-awaited return to the NFL last offseason when he agreed to become the next head coach of the Chargers.
Tasked with getting the most out of star QB Justin Herbert, Harbaugh reportedly received a five-year contract worth $16 million annually.