The Baltimore Ravens made a significant move on Tuesday, firing coach John Harbaugh after 18 seasons. Harbaugh, the winningest coach in Ravens history, immediately vaults atop the list of available coaching candidates. How attractive is Harbaugh on this coaching carousel? His agent, Bryan Harlan, said he received calls from seven different teams expressing interest in Harbaugh 45 minutes after the news broke, per ESPN.
There are just seven jobs open currently, and the Ravens didn’t call about their former coach. That means there’s an NFL team out there right now considering firing their own coach for a shot at Harbaugh.
Who could that team be? The Miami Dolphins have not fired Mike McDaniel following a disappointing 7-10 campaign. He is 35-33 during his four seasons in South Beach, but 0-2 in the playoffs. Todd Bowles thinks he has done enough to keep his job with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after three straight NFC South titles, but how does the organization feel about him moving forward?
Maybe Jerry Jones makes an aggressive move for the Dallas Cowboys, or could the Cincinnati Bengals move on from Zac Taylor and seduce Harbaugh with star quarterback Joe Burrow and the idea of coaching against his former team twice a year?
Ravens fire John Harbaugh: Five landing spots for Super Bowl champion coach, including team with no vacancy
Garrett Podell
Apart from the Ravens, there are six franchises searching for new head coaches: the New York Giants, Tennessee Titans, Atlanta Falcons, Las Vegas Raiders, Cleveland Browns and Arizona Cardinals. And there apparently is already a team to watch, as ESPN reports that Harbaugh is expected to emerge as the favorite for the Giants.
You can understand why teams are excited about the prospect of hiring Harbaugh. He is the winningest coach in Ravens history, going 180-113 during his time in Baltimore, won Super Bowl XLVII in 2013, and was named NFL Coach of the Year in 2019. Harbaugh has won eight road playoff games over his career, which are the most by a coach in NFL history. However, the Ravens have struggled in the playoffs over the last 12 seasons, winning just four games.
