The Baltimore Ravens finally moved on from Head Coach John Harbaugh on Tuesday. After 18 successful years with the franchise, which includes a Super Bowl and 12 playoff appearances, the Ravens and Harbaugh will go their separate ways.
Obviously, Baltimore is in win-now mode. You don’t often see a team in such a position fire their coach, but 2025 encapsulated an agonizing stretch for Harbaugh and the Ravens. It was apparent they needed a new voice in the building, and they’ll be looking for just that in the coming months.
Thankfully, the NFL is cluttered with bright-minded coordinators and former head coaches who can still get the job done. According to ESPN analyst Mina Kimes, the ideal Harbaugh replacement could not be more obvious. Her pick is Minnesota Vikings Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores.
The Ravens instantly become the most appealing HC job in football.
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) January 6, 2026
I would *strongly* consider Brian Flores if I were them.
Mina Kimes suggests Ravens should go after Brian Flores
Flores would bring in the philosophy the Ravens desperately need to get back to: setting the tone on defense. Under the current Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr, Baltimore’s defense has struggled to show up on a weekly basis. Gone is that brutal physicality displayed on a down-to-down basis. Recently, it has been a more passive unit. Flores can change that.
In Minnesota this year, Flores led a group that gave up the third-fewest yards in football and seventh-fewest points. His defense also had a knack for getting pressure and forcing turnovers, as the Vikings finished with 49 sacks (tied for fourth) and 21 takeaways (tied for 10th). Those are two departments the Ravens need to be more consistent in.
Baltimore should also be an enticing destination for Flores with quarterback Lamar Jackson at the helm. He had high praise for the two-time MVP earlier this season.
Here's Flores talking about Lamar this fall. Feel like there would be a lot of mutual respect here. pic.twitter.com/dr1KBGwIPC
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) January 6, 2026
As if Jackson’s not enough, the Ravens also have some young defensive stars that a coach like Flores likely can’t wait to implement in his defense. Of course, safety Kyle Hamilton and defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike are multi-time Pro Bowlers, but the team’s second and first-year players bring exciting talent. Cornerback Nate Wiggins, safety Malaki Starks, outside linebacker Mike Green, and linebacker Teddye Buchanan have all shown promise and would take significant strides in Flores’ system.
At this point, there remain countless directions in which Steve Bisciotti and Eric DeCosta could go, but Flores immediately stands out as one of the top guys available for the job.