John Harbaugh will coach his third game with the New York Giants against the Tennessee Titans on Sept. 27 in his first season with the franchise.
Harbaugh spent 18 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens from 2008 through 2025, winning a Super Bowl and making the playoffs 12 times.
But 2025 was a disappointing year for the Ravens and Harbaugh, with the team missing the postseason in a softer AFC North.
An 18-season tenure is a long time in the NFL, and only AFC North foe Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh rivaled the Ravens-Harbaugh relationship.
Maybe it was no surprise to see both Harbaugh and Tomlin separately leave their organizations in the same offseason.
John Harbaugh's success in Baltimore
Harbaugh became the Ravens' head coach in 2008, succeeding Brian Billick. Harbaugh had been the Eagles'
special teams coordinator from 1998-2006, then was the team's secondary coach in 2007.
It was not exactly the CV that most NFL coaching candidates had, either then or now. But Harbaugh clicked in Baltimore immediately.
The Ravens were still the mid-2000s Ravens on defense, led by Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs and Ed Reed. Baltimore's issues stemmed from an inconsistent if not struggling offense.
Quarterback Joe Flacco was drafted in the first round in 2008 and gave the Ravens an immediate upgrade at the position. Flacco and Harbaugh led Baltimore to the AFC Championship Game in 2008, then again in 2011 before breaking through with a Super Bowl title in 2012, Lewis' final NFL season.
From 2003 through 2018, the AFC was represented in the Super Bowl by four quarterbacks — Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger and Flacco.
Flacco's play fluctuated after the 2012 title, with his status as an "elite" quarterback becoming a meme moreso than reality. Baltimore's results also suffered, as the Ravens missed the playoffs in four of five seasons after the Super Bowl.
The Harbaugh era got another jolt in 2018 when Baltimore drafted Lamar Jackson. The 2016 Heisman Trophy winner won two AP NFL MVPs in his first seven seasons.
But the Jackson era became as defined by postseason failures, with the Ravens twice failing to make the Super Bowl as the No. 1 seed in the AFC with Jackson as the league MVP (2019, 2023).
Why John Harbaugh left the Ravens
Coming off of a disappointing divisional round loss at Buffalo in which the Ravens outgained the Bills but had three turnovers, expectations were high in 2025.
But Baltimore opened 1-5, with Jackson missing four games after an injury. A five-game winning streak out of a mid-year bye week was only a tease.
The Ravens lost four of the final six games, including being swept by eventual AFC North champion Pittsburgh.
The two rivals played a win-and-in Week 18 game on the final day of the regular season. When Tyler Loop's 44-yard field goal attempt missed wide right, the Ravens' season was over.
And so was Harbaugh's Ravens tenure. The Ravens fired Harbaugh on Jan. 6, with owner Steve Bisciotti noting Harbaugh's successful tenure but acknowledging the future.
"We fully understand the expectations of our fans and everyone in the Ravens organization," Bisciotti said in a statement. "Finding another strong leader and partner who will reflect these high standards is paramount."
Biscotti later said in a media availability that it was his decision to fire Harbaugh.
"I felt it was the right time to make the change, Bisciotti said. "If not now, when?"
Baltimore replaced Harbaugh with Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, while Harbaugh was hired by the Giants two weeks after the Ravens fired him.
John Harbaugh's first Giants coaching staff has a heavy ex-Titans flavor
Harbaugh's first Giants staff features, among others:
- Defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson, the Titans defensive coordinator from 2024-2025
- Passing game coordinator/QB coach Brian Callahan, the Titans head coach from 2024-2025
- Tight ends coach Tim Kelly, the Titans offensive coordinator in 2023
- Inside linebackers coach Frank Bush, the Titans linebackers coach from 2024-2025
- Assistant linebackers coach Matt Pees, the Titans defensive assistant and quality control coach from 2018-2019 and the son of former Titans defensive coordinator Dean Pees
While offensive coordinator Matt Nagy is not directly tied to the Titans, Nagy was reportedly a serious candidate for Tennessee's head-coaching opening in January. Tennessee instead hired Robert Saleh.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Why John Harbaugh was fired by Ravens, how he ended up with Giants
