BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - DECEMBER 21: Isaiah Likely #80 of the Baltimore Ravens celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the first quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium on December 21, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
The Baltimore Ravens will be looking for a new coach for the first time since 2008.
The Ravens fired John Harbaugh on January 6 after 18 seasons with the team. This comes just days after the Ravens’ heartbreaking loss on Sunday Night Football.
Harbaugh was hired in 2008 after a 5-11 season. He led the Ravens to a complete turnaround in 2008, posting an 11-5 record. The Ravens didn’t make too many changes outside of their head coach. One move they made was signing Pro Bowl special teams player Brendon Ayanbadejo.
Harbaugh made the playoffs each of his first five seasons with the Ravens. This all culminated in a Super Bowl championship in the 2012 season. Harbaugh was able to squeeze just enough out of an aging roster. The Ravens’ 2012 run is widely regarded as one of the most impressive in Super Bowl history.
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The Ravens stagnated a bit after the Super Bowl, making the playoffs just one time from 2013 to 2017. However, the Ravens never lost trust in Harbaugh.
The 2018 draft changed everything. The Ravens selected Lamar Jackson with the 32nd pick. Harbaugh now had an elite quarterback to pair with his defensive coaching skills. He won the Coach of the Year award in 2019 with a 14-2 record.
Despite missing the playoffs only twice in the Jackson era, it was also marked by a lack of playoff success. Ravens fans debated who was to blame, but ultimately, the front office decided it was Harbaugh’s time to go.
The Ravens are likely to look internally to find their next head coach. Special teams coordinator Chris Horton and offensive coordinator Todd Monken are very likely candidates. As for Harbaugh, any team with a coaching opening will likely want to interview him. Harbaugh may not want to join a rebuild, so he could wait until after the playoffs to see if any playoff teams fire their coaches.
He may not need to wait that long. In the 24 hours after the news broke, Harbaugh reportedly had calls from seven NFL teams.
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