The Baltimore Ravens hired John Harbaugh in 2008, making him one of the longest-tenured head coaches in the NFL. He’s widely regarded as one of the league’s best coaches.
Harbaugh has had a long, successful stint with the Ravens, but how many NFL teams has he coached throughout his career?
John Harbaugh Coaching Roles
Before becoming an NFL coach, Harbaugh had worked as an assistant at multiple college programs from 1984 to 1997.
He got his first coaching job at Western Michigan, serving as the team’s running backs coach and outside linebackers coach. His father, Jack, was the head coach.
Then, 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.
Philadelphia Eagles | Special Teams Coordinator (1998 – 2006)
Harbaugh joined the NFL in 1998 as a special teams coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles. He is a disciple of the Andy Reid coaching tree, having worked under Ray Rhodes and Reid in Philly.
Harbaugh thrived in this role and, under his leadership, Philly’s special-teams unit was regularly voted as one of the best in the NFL. Between 2000 and 2005, the unit was ranked top 10 in Rick Gosselin’s NFL special teams rankings in five of the six seasons.
In 2001 and 2003, the team was ranked first in those rankings. The 2001 season was special for Harbaugh, as he went on to win Special Teams Coach of the Year as voted by fellow NFL coaches.
Eagles | Defensive Backs Coach (2007)
In 2007, Harbaugh was promoted to defensive backs coach for the Eagles.
He had made it known that he would like the opportunity to become an NFL head coach, and special teams coordinators were not granted the same opportunities as offensive and defensive coaches.
Speaking in 2007, Reid explained that he moved Harbaugh to coach the secondary in the hope of boosting his credentials and helping him become an NFL head coach.
Baltimore Ravens | Head Coach (2008 – Present)
Harbaugh finally fulfilled his dream of becoming an NFL head coach in 2008 when the Ravens hired him. He became just the third head coach of the franchise (after Ted Marchibroda and Brian Billick) since its relocation to Baltimore in 1996.
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 three 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 against his brother, Jim.
In the list of NFL head coach wins leaders, Harbaugh ranks 16th with 179 wins. He’s also the second-longest tenured head coach in the NFL, behind only Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers.