Harbaugh out as Ravens coach after playoff miss

The Baltimore Ravens fired John Harbaugh on Tuesday, ending the run 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 had signed a three-year deal 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 is a Hall of Fame coaching career, John has delivered a Super Bowl championship to Baltimore and served as a steadfast pillar of humility and leadership," Bisciotti said. "He and his family have deeply embedded themselves in this community. For these profound contributions, on and off the field, we should all be forever grateful.

"Our goal has always been and will always be to win Championships. We strive to consistently perform at the highest level on the field and be a team and organization our fans take pride in. I will always be grateful for the extraordinary hard work and dedication displayed by John and his staff throughout the many successful years."

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

His agent, Bryan Harlan, told ESPN's Adam Schefter that in the first 45 minutes after Harbaugh was fired Tuesday, Harlan received calls from seven NFL teams expressing interest in his client. There currently are seven NFL head coach openings, including Baltimore's.

Sources told Schefter that Harbaugh was expected to emerge as a favorite for the vacant job with the Giants.

Sources also told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler that Harbaugh was in touch with members of his staff Tuesday about a potential exit, with the impression from those talks being that he had a say in the decision to leave and was expected to get right back into 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 active tenured 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 was willing to bring in a head coach who made his mark with Special Teams success," he said as part of a statement. "A difficult thing to do ... and Appreciation for all the moments, all these years, that are etched into eternity."

Harbaugh didn't produce as much postseason success in recent years as he had earlier in his career, which was a major disappointment considering he had two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson at 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 challenging. The preseason betting favorite to win the Super Bowl, the Ravens (8-9) finished with a losing record for only the third time under Harbaugh.

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

The criticism of Harbaugh increased after a 28-24 loss to the New England Patriots on Dec. 21, when running back Derrick Henry didn't receive a carry in the final 12 minutes of the game despite Baltimore holding a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter.

In the final question at the news conference after Sunday's loss in Pittsburgh, Harbaugh was asked if he wanted another shot to coach the Ravens. "Yes, I love these guys," he said.

When Baltimore hired Harbaugh in 2008, he was considered an outside-the-box hire because his expertise had been on special teams. In replacing Brian Billick, Harbaugh changed the culture and turned the Ravens into a perennial Super Bowl contender.

By making bold decisions and stressing a 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 loaded 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 as the longest-tenured coach in Baltimore sports history and is one of eight coaches in NFL history to record 300 games with one team. He finished with a 193-124 record (.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 had only three losing seasons under Harbaugh -- 2015, 2021 and 2025 -- and each one included his starting quarterback being sidelined at least four games.

The Ravens have become one of the most stable franchises since relocating 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 challenging, but exciting" process of finding a new coach now will 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."