By NOAH TRISTER AP Sports Writer
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — John Harbaugh’s 18-year tenure in Baltimore included two distinct periods of success.
After taking over, Harbaugh capitalized on the last few years of Ray Lewis’ career, reaching the AFC title game three times in his first five seasons as coach and winning a Super Bowl.
When Lamar Jackson arrived in 2018, the Ravens became contenders again — but there’s been no conference championship yet for this particular era, and lately Baltimore has experienced more angst than glory.
So Harbaugh is out of a job.
Owner Steve Bisciotti fired Harbaugh on Tuesday after the Ravens were one of the league’s most disappointing teams this season. They went 8-9 and missed the playoffs after entering Week 1 as one of the Super Bowl favorites.
Baltimore’s season ended Sunday night when Tyler Loop missed a last-second field-goal attempt, allowing Pittsburgh to hold on for a 26-24 victory in the game that decided the AFC North title.
“This was an incredibly difficult decision, given the tremendous 18 years we have spent together and the profound respect I have for John as a coach and, most importantly, as a great man of integrity,” Bisciotti said in a statement. “Throughout what I firmly believe is a Hall of Fame coaching career, John has delivered a Super Bowl championship to Baltimore and served as a steadfast pillar of humility and leadership.”
Harbaugh was hired after coaching special teams and defensive backs for the Philadelphia Eagles. With the Ravens, he went 193-124 including the postseason. He led the 2012 Ravens to a Super Bowl title, and this season was only the sixth time Baltimore missed the postseason under Harbaugh. That’s the same number of times the Ravens won the AFC North with him at the helm.
But most of Baltimore’s postseason success came in his first few years. After beating his brother Jim, who was coaching the San Francisco 49ers, in the Super Bowl, John Harbaugh was 9-4 in the playoffs. For the rest of his tenure, he was just 4-7. After the Ravens went three straight seasons without a playoff berth, they drafted Jackson. The star quarterback won two MVPs in his first six years in the league, but Harbaugh’s lone run to an AFC championship game with Jackson was wasted two seasons ago when Baltimore lost at home to Kansas City.
“Well, I was hoping for a different kind of message on my last day here, someday, but that day has come today,” Harbaugh said in a statement. “It comes with disappointment certainly, but more with GRATITUDE & APPRECIATION. Gratitude to the owner and organization who was willing to bring in a head coach who made his mark with special teams success. A difficult thing to do … and Appreciation for all the moments, all these years, that are etched into eternity.”
The 2025 season was a mess for Baltimore from the start. The Ravens looked great for much of their opener at Buffalo before blowing a late lead. Indeed, squandering significant advantages became a troubling trend in Harbaugh’s last few seasons. The Ravens have blown 10 double-digit leads in the second half in the past six seasons. No other team has done that more than seven times.
After a hamstring injury sidelined Jackson, Baltimore stumbled to a 1-5 start. Harbaugh and the Ravens worked their way back into contention and eventually reached Sunday’s winner-take-all matchup as a favorite to beat the Steelers. But despite Derrick Henry’s early dominance on the ground and Jackson’s sensational fourth quarter, another season ended in excruciating fashion.
If Harbaugh’s departure was a result of that loss — which is not necessarily clear — then the missed kick at the end could have quite a domino effect throughout the league. If he wants to coach next season, Harbaugh may well be the most sought-after candidate on the market, and the Baltimore job might be the best available, given the short-term possibilities with Jackson at quarterback and the organization’s reputation for stability.
Of course, Harbaugh was a big part of that stability. He’s been the coach for more than half of the Ravens’ existence. When Baltimore has had to make changes on the staff, it’s often gone pretty well. Mike Macdonald was so good in his two years as defensive coordinator that he became Seattle’s head coach. Todd Monken took over as offensive coordinator in 2023, and Jackson immediately won his second MVP.
Now the Ravens are in the middle of a shakeup. It wasn’t that hard to see it coming, given how much they underperformed this season — plus what seemed like a possible disconnect with Jackson. It was hard to tell just how injured the star quarterback was at any given time — and Harbaugh’s optimism on the topic didn’t always come to fruition. Week 18 was the first time since early November that Jackson had a full week of practice.
Harbaugh said late in the season he had an “A-plus” relationship with Jackson, and Jackson said he wanted to be in Baltimore.
Jackson was asked after the Pittsburgh game Sunday night if he wanted Harbaugh back.
“You’re asking me about next year,” Jackson said. “I’m so caught up in what just happened tonight. I can’t focus on that right now.”
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AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi contributed to this report.
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