The Baltimore Ravens have already made one major coaching change within the past week, but it doesn’t appear as though they’ll be making another one, at least as it pertains to head coach John Harbaugh.
ESPN’s Jamison Hensley is reporting that the Ravens are “nearing a contract extension” with Harbaugh and that the deal is expected to be completed within “a few weeks.”
Harbaugh was set to enter the final year of a four-year extension he signed prior to the 2019 season in 2022, but the Ravens are seemingly making sure their head coach has more insurance going into the year.
Owner Steve Bisciotti has gone on record in the past expressing how he dislikes “lame-duck coaches” which is why it makes sense that the organization wanted to get an extension agreed to before the start of the season.
With the team’s executives and coaching staff meeting in The Bahamas this past weekend, the timing of this also makes sense. The Ravens don’t want Harbaugh going anywhere.
The Ravens are locking up John Harbaugh for the foreseeable future
Harbaugh’s 148-96 (.607 winning percentage) career record with the Ravens (including playoffs) ranks as the sixth-best winning percentage among active head coaches with at least 90 games, per ESPN.
Since joining the franchise in 2008, Harbaugh has established himself as one of the winningest and most successful coaches in the NFL. He’s made the postseason in nine of his 14 seasons and led the team to their second Super Bowl title in 2012.
While the Ravens’ six-game skid to end the 2021 season might have left a sour taste in the mouths of some supporters, it was clear that the organization was never going to seriously consider moving on from Harbaugh who remains one of the most respected coaches in the league.
His success, reputation, and pedigree speak for themselves. John Harbaugh is staying in Baltimore for the foreseeable future.
And that’s the way it should be.