The Baltimore Ravens have fired head coach John Harbaugh after 18 seasons, ending a tenure that included a Super Bowl victory but recent playoff disappointments. The decision came two days after a heartbreaking 26-24 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18, where a missed field goal cost them the AFC North title and a playoff spot. Owner Steve Bisciotti praised Harbaugh's contributions while announcing the difficult change.
John Harbaugh's dismissal on Tuesday marks the end of an era for the Ravens, where he coached from 2008 to 2025, compiling a 180-113 regular-season record and 13-11 in the playoffs. His teams reached the postseason 12 times, advanced to four AFC Championship Games, and won Super Bowl XLVII against the San Francisco 49ers in 2013. Harbaugh earned NFL Coach of the Year honors in 2019 after guiding Baltimore to a 14-2 record during Lamar Jackson's first MVP season. He held the second-longest tenure in the league, behind only Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin, with whom he faced off 40 times—Tomlin leading 22-17 including playoffs.
The 2025 season ended with an 8-9 record, Baltimore's third losing campaign under Harbaugh and their first missed playoffs since 2021. Starting 1-5 amid injuries, including Jackson's hamstring issue, the Ravens rallied with five straight wins post-bye but faltered, losing four of their final six. The pivotal Week 18 defeat to the Steelers featured four lead changes in the fourth quarter, culminating in rookie kicker Tyler Loop's missed 44-yard field goal as time expired.
"Following a comprehensive evaluation of the season and the overall direction of our organization, I decided to make a change at head coach," Bisciotti said in a statement. "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. Throughout what I firmly believe is a Hall of Fame coaching career, John has delivered a Super Bowl championship to Baltimore."
Harbaugh, under contract through 2028, expressed disappointment but gratitude. "Well, I was hoping for a different kind of message on my last day here, someday, but that day has come today. It comes with disappointment certainly, but more with GRATITUDE & APPRECIATION," he said. A key factor in the decision was reportedly Harbaugh's refusal to consider moving on from offensive coordinator Todd Monken.
Despite eight road playoff wins—the most in NFL history—and developing quarterbacks like Joe Flacco and Jackson, the Ravens won just three postseason games in Jackson's eight seasons, never advancing past the AFC Championship after 2012. Baltimore blew 26 leads of 10 or more points under Harbaugh since 2008, the most in the league. The franchise now seeks its fourth head coach in 30 years, aiming to capitalize on Jackson's prime years.