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John Harbaugh has been fired, which means there is now only one active Harbaugh brother in the NFL: Jim Harbaugh. The former Michigan coach is in his second season with the Los Angeles Chargers. Meanwhile, John was just fired from the Baltimore Ravens after 18 seasons. In the wake of that, the Chargers coach offered up his support.
John Harbaugh gets support from Jim Harbaugh
John Harbaugh has some interview options, but he’s planning not to do anything until after wild-card weekend. Either way, he will likely have plenty of options for his future. Jim Harbaugh is confident in that as well.
“He’ll be a head coach next year,” Jim Harbaugh said via ESPN. “We’ll be playing against him in some form or fashion.” The two played against one another in a Super Bowl, and John’s Ravens got the better of Jim’s 49ers. Overall, John is 3-0 against his brother.
When asked if he was surprised, the Chargers coach said, “Yeah, as were many. John Harbaugh’s the best coach I know, the best coach I’ve ever seen. I’m his brother, so I might be biased.” Overall, including the postseason, the Ravens coach was 193-124, and he had that Super Bowl title over a decade ago.
But since then, the Ravens have had precious little postseason success. They haven’t been back to the Super Bowl, and the Lamar Jackson Ravens have suffered letdown after letdown, including this season’s 8-9 finish without a postseason berth. That’s why he’s been let go, but he should not have much trouble finding a new home.
“It’s great seeing that kind of outpouring of support,” the Chargers coach said. “It’s so cool to see all my brother’s accomplishments and be recognized for that.” Jim knows that no matter what, whoever lands his brother is going to be in a good spot.
“As I told him, whatever team he goes to is going to be formidable. Just hope it’s in the NFC,” he joked. When the two brothers met in the Super Bowl, Jim was an NFC coach. He left for Michigan, only to come back after a national title and rejoin the NFL, this time in the AFC.
“He’ll be attacking with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind the next opportunity,” Jim said of his brother. Harbaugh’s been with the Ravens for 18 years, which is an almost unprecedented amount of time. No NFL coaches last that long these days.
What’s next?
There are several openings, and it’s very likely that the former Ravens leader interviews for most, if not all, of them:
- Tennessee Titans
- Las Vegas Raiders
- New York Giants
- Miami Dolphins
- Atlanta Falcons
- Cleveland Browns
- Arizona Cardinals
There’s also a possibility that some teams may fire their coaches after the Wild Card Round. If the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, or Buffalo Bills were to move on from their coaches in the wake of a disappointing effort, those jobs would be good for Harbaugh.
That would allow him to join a competitive team. None of the above teams were in the playoffs, which is part of why they fired their coaches. The Atlanta Falcons got somewhat close, but the rest make up a large portion of the top 10 in the NFL Draft.
Those are still valuable jobs, but Harbaugh might be more interested in an established team with a playoff record than a full rebuild with young players and draft picks. Either way, the former Ravens coach should have plenty of options.
He could also follow his brother’s path and go down to the NCAA, but that seems highly unlikely. At this stage and with interest high, the NFL remains the most likely outcome.
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