John Harbaugh's legendary career gets its due with eye-opening HC ranking

USA Today

23-06-2025

The proper respect is given to the Ravens' John Harbaugh in a recent ranking of NFL head coaches.
Whenever we discuss the Baltimore Ravens' rivalry with the Pittsburgh Steelers, we mention bruised bodies and longtime animosity. We mention legends and Pro Football Hall of Famers, and though we talk about the longevity of two great head coaches, we probably don't delve into what they have accomplished often enough.
No two current leaders of any two football teams have met at midfield to exchange postgame handshakes more often than John Harbaugh and Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin. In total, they've locked horns 38 times, and it will be a long time before any two meet or exceed their number.
Harbaugh enters year 18 as Ravens head coach. His tenure is second only to, you guessed it, Mike Tomlin. He enters year 19.
John Harbaugh lands third on Pro Football Network's ranking of NFL head coaches.
Time has flown. Though he still looks like he is in his twenties, Harbaugh's near-20-year run enters another season with much on the line.
The same is true for Tomlin. The Steelers will be expected to qualify for postseason contention as well. Their annual pair of clashes will have much to say about where they are seeded.
Pro Football Network's Brandon Austin recently ranked the NFL's head coaches. These two rivals both earned top-ten rankings.
Tomlin lands at seven. Harbaugh is ranked third. Here's Austin's reasoning behind placing John among the top three.
"John Harbaugh has been a model of consistency since taking over as the Baltimore Ravens' head coach in 2008. A Super Bowl champion, Harbaugh has delivered double-digit win seasons in six of the past seven years, with just one losing record since 2016...
Harbaugh's adaptability is one of his greatest strengths. He won with Joe Flacco. Then, once Lamar Jackson arrived, he and the staff reshaped the team around his unique skill set, and it worked faster than many expected."
No lies have been told so far. Let's continue...
"Harbaugh has stood the test of time, battling in two separate loaded AFC eras. He went toe-to-toe with Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Ben Roethlisberger. Now, he's perennially challenging Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Joe Burrow for conference supremacy."
Coach Harbaugh is only exceeded on this list by Andy Reid and Sean McVay. Nick Sirianni (ranked fourth) and Dan Campbell (fifth) round out the top five. Kyle Shanahan (sixth), Jim Harbaugh (eighth), Matt LaFleur (ninth), and Sean Payton (tenth) round out the top ten.
Typically, when we discuss the brilliance of what we see on the sidelines weekly, Harbaugh isn't brought up. Some see that as being disrespectful. That's understandable, but perhaps this happiness serves another purpose. Could an argument be made that John Harbaugh is so good that he is taken for granted?
Don't worry. Another Vince Lombardi Trophy will place him in rare air. He'll have a chance to win one next February as, thanks to his leadership, Baltimore will again be among the AFC's top Super Bowl contenders.