The Baltimore Ravens have fired head coach John Harbaugh after 18 seasons, ending the most successful coaching tenure in Ravens history and looked at as one of the best coaching runs of any coach in the NFL today. Owner Steve Bisciotti officially terminated Harbaugh’s contract on Tuesday, January 6, marking a strong shift for the organization.
The decision arrived less than 24 hours after a heartbreaking 26-24 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers kept Baltimore out of the playoffs. Biscotti confirmed he made the difficult decision personally during a private phone call with Harbaugh. The reason for the phone call was to not be a jerk and tell him to come back to the facility just to relieve him of his duties.
“I just hope you respect me enough to know that 100%, my instincts told me this was the time,” Biscotti told the press, emphasizing the Ravens needing a hard reset despite John bringing home a super bowl ring in 2012. Harbaugh released a brief statement saying, “I was hoping for a different kind of message on my last day… but that day has come.” while the team has already pivoted by hiring former Raven, and most recently former Chargers DC Jesse Minter as his successor.
Inside the castle, the mood was described as silent. Some may have felt like it was time and some were just missing Harbs. After nearly two decades of stability, Minter is expected to overhaul the coaching staff and bring in guys he will work well with, moving away from the systems that had been in place since 2008.
Harbaugh didn’t stay unemployed for long, he accepted a head coaching offer from a team not too far away, the New York Giants. He leaves Baltimore with 180 regular season wins, a record that will stand for decades.
