John Harbaugh out as coach of Ravens after missing playoffs

The Baltimore Ravens fired John Harbaugh on Tuesday, ending the career of the most successful coach in franchise history.

His exit came two days after the Ravens lost to the rival Steelers in Pittsburgh 26-24 after missing a last-second field goal attempt, which eliminated them from the playoffs for the first time since 2021. Harbaugh signed a three-year contract last offseason and was under contract through the 2028 season.

In a statement, Baltimore owner Steve Bisciotti called the decision “incredibly difficult.”

“Throughout what I firmly believe was a Hall of Fame coaching career, John won the Super Bowl in Baltimore and was a steadfast pillar of humility and leadership,” Bisciotti said. “He and his family have ingrained themselves deeply into this community. For these profound contributions, on and off the field, we should all be eternally grateful.

“Our goal has always been and always will be to win championships. We strive to always perform at the highest level on the field and be a team and organization that our fans are proud of. I will always be grateful for the extraordinary hard work and dedication that John and his team have demonstrated throughout these many years of success.”

Harbaugh now becomes the hottest name on the coaching market if he decides to return to the bench for the 2026 season.

His agent, Bryan Harlan, told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that within 45 minutes of Harbaugh’s firing Tuesday, Harlan received calls from seven NFL teams expressing interest in his client. There are currently seven head coaching positions in the NFL, including Baltimore’s, meaning at least one of those teams still has a coach in place.

Sources told Schefter that Harbaugh is expected to emerge as one of the favorites for the Giants’ vacancy.

Sources also told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler that Harbaugh was in contact with members of his staff Tuesday about a potential departure, with the impression from those discussions being that he had a say in the decision to leave and was expected to return immediately to coaching this cycle.

Harbaugh, 64, ranks 12th for most wins by a head coach in NFL history with 193 and guided the Ravens to a Super Bowl title in 2012. In leading the Ravens for 18 seasons, he was the second-longest-tenured active coach in the league behind Mike Tomlin, who is in his 19th season with the Steelers.

Harbaugh on Tuesday expressed “gratitude and appreciation” for his time in Baltimore.

“Gratitude to the owner and organization who were willing to bring in a head coach who has made his mark with special teams success,” he said in a statement. “A difficult thing to do…and an appreciation for all the moments, all these years, etched into eternity.”

Harbaugh hasn’t produced as much playoff success in recent years as he did earlier in his career, which was a major disappointment considering he had two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson as his quarterback. In eight seasons with Jackson, Harbaugh won only three playoff games and never advanced past the AFC Championship Game.

Harbaugh’s final season in Baltimore proved to be one of his most difficult. Preseason betting favorites to win the Super Bowl, the Ravens (8-9) finished with a losing record for just the third time under Harbaugh.

Discontent among Baltimore fans grew throughout a season in which the Ravens went 3-6 at M&T Bank Stadium, which was the worst home record in franchise history. Harbaugh was booed off the field after a 44-10 loss to the Houston Texans on Oct. 5, and there were a lot of empty seats for the final seven home games.

Criticism of Harbaugh intensified after a 28–24 loss to the New England Patriots on December 21, when running back Derrick Henry did not receive a carry in the final 12 minutes of the game as Baltimore held a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter.

In the final question asked at the press conference after Sunday’s loss at Pittsburgh, Harbaugh was asked if he wanted another chance to coach the Ravens. “Yeah, I like those guys,” he said.

When Baltimore hired Harbaugh in 2008, he was considered an outside-the-box employee because his expertise was on special teams. By replacing Brian Billick, Harbaugh changed the culture and made the Ravens a perennial Super Bowl contender.

By making bold decisions and emphasizing the team-first mantra, he became the only coach in NFL history to win a playoff game in each of his first five seasons. He is also the only coach to guide a team to the AFC Championship Game three times in his first five years.

But playoff success has been a challenge lately, even with Jackson and a roster filled with Pro Bowl players. Under Harbaugh, the Ravens have advanced past the divisional round only once since winning the Super Bowl 13 seasons ago.

Harbaugh leaves the team as the longest-tenured coach in Baltimore sports history and is one of eight coaches in NFL history to record 300 games with a single team. He finished with a record of 193-124 (.609), including the playoffs, and guided the Ravens to six AFC North titles, two No. 1 seeds and four trips to the AFC Championship Game. Baltimore has only had three losing seasons under Harbaugh – 2015, 2021 and 2025 – and each of them included its starting quarterback being sidelined at least four games.

The Ravens have become one of the most stable franchises since moving from Cleveland in 1996. Over the past 30 years, the Ravens have had three head coaches (Ted Marchibroda, Billick and Harbaugh), two general managers (Ozzie Newsome and Eric DeCosta) and two owners (Art Modell and Bisciotti).

Bisciotti said “the difficult, but exciting process” of finding a new coach will now take place in Baltimore for the first time in a long time.

“We fully understand the expectations of our fans and everyone in the Ravens organization,” he said. “Finding another strong leader and partner who will reflect these high standards is paramount.”