Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh has done just about everything one could want from a head coach in his nearly two-decade-long stint with the franchise, but it is quickly becoming clear that the Ravens need a change in leadership after a rough 6-7 start to the 2025 season.
Harbaugh himself will clearly be hurt if Baltimore moves on, but his reputation throughout the NFL coaching circles is still solid gold. If he wants to continue coaching despite his age, he could likely get some sort of NFL job in two seconds.
Should Harbaugh call it quits in the NFL, he might stumble into a very enticing opportunity in the college ranks. With Michigan firing head coach Sherrone Moore after some incredibly inappropriate and disturbing behavior, a premier job at a blue blood program has now opened up.
After his brother Jim led the Wolverines to a national championship (albeit one mired in so much controversy that he now is under a show-cause order throughout the 2038 season), the Harbaugh name carries weight in Ann Arbor. If Baltimore parts ways, Harbaugh may be at the top of any potential list of candidates.
John Harbaugh could join Michigan as head coach if Baltimore Ravens fire him
Harbaugh, 63, has a 178-110 record to his name in Baltimore, along with just two losing seasons (one came when Lamar Jackson was hurt) in 17 seasons as Ravens head coach. With 13 playoff wins and a Super Bowl, no one is doubting Harbaugh's credentials.
Harbaugh, like his brother, is such a floor raiser that it will keep a Wolverines program that is as in flux as a program can possibly be while competing for another Big Ten title. In the increasingly difficult Big Ten, it might be hard for Michigan to run down someone like Harbaugh if he wants to come to town.
In pulling off this move, the Ravens might be able to land another Michigan man in Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. If Minter fixes the Ravens' defense and Harbaugh leads a bounce-back at Michigan, both parties will seemingly get everything they want from this swap.
No one is saying Harbaugh is a bad coach or dim football mind, but he might need a fresh coat of paint. He could rule the roost in Ann Arbor if he ends up becoming as good as he was during the early stages of his Ravens tenure.