John Harbaugh, the Super Bowl-winning head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, has been fired after 18 seasons following a disappointing 8-9 record and missing the playoffs, despite the team being Super Bowl favorites.
John Harbaugh's 18-year tenure as head coach of the Baltimore Ravens has concluded, with owner Steve Bisciotti firing him after the team finished a disappointing 8-9 and missed the playoffs. Harbaugh led the Ravens to a Super Bowl victory in 2012 during the Ray Lewis era and revitalized the team with Lamar Jackson, though a conference championship eluded them in this latter period. Bisciotti expressed profound respect for Harbaugh's integrity and Hall of Fame coaching career, calling it an 'incredibly difficult decision.' Harbaugh, who went 193-124 overall including postseason, expressed disappointment but also immense gratitude for his time with the organization. The Ravens' season concluded with a last-second missed field goal against Pittsburgh, losing the AFC North title. A troubling trend of blowing double-digit leads in the second half was highlighted, occurring 10 times in the last six seasons. Harbaugh's firing makes him a top coaching candidate on the market, and the Ravens' job is considered highly desirable given the short-term possibilities with Jackson at quarterback. Speculation also arose about a possible disconnect with quarterback Lamar Jackson regarding injury transparency throughout the season.
