Reports: Ravens fire John Harbaugh after 18 seasons in charge
John Harbaugh reached the NFL playoffs 12 times in Baltimore, but his Ravens tenure ended with a disappointing 8-9 season.Photograph: Justin Berl/APThe Baltimore Ravens have fired head coach John Harbaugh after 18 seasons in charge, according to multiple reports on Tuesday.
Harbaugh is the most successful coach in the history of the franchise and was the second longest-tenured head coach in the NFL before his dismissal. Ironically, his final game with the Ravens came against the only name ahead of him in terms of tenure length - Mike Tomlin, who has been in charge of the Pittsburgh Steelers for 19 seasons.
The Ravens experienced a sustained run of success under Harbaugh, reaching the playoffs in 12 of his 18 seasons and winning the AFC North division six times. Harbaugh led his team to Super Bowl XLVII in the 2012 season, winning the title against his brother Jim in what was colloquially referred to as the HarBowl".
By and large, though, most of Harbaugh's playoff success came early in his tenure. The Ravens made the AFC Championship Game three times in his first five years as head coach, but only once in the seasons since. This was despite having two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson under center for many of those seasons.
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The 2025 season was easily the most disappointing of his tenure. The Ravens started the season as Super Bowl favourites but finished with an 8-9 record, missing the playoffs after a late missed field goal on Sunday against the Steelers, their bitter division rivals.
Harbaugh had signed a three-year contract extension this past offseason, running until the 2028 season. The 63-year-old ranks 12th all time in wins by an NFL head coach. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Harbaugh's next job could come on the media side as a TV analyst - a destination that was also speculated for Tomlin had he finished on the losing end of Sunday's season finale and been dismissed afterward.