Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh has come a long way in the last 17 years.
At one point, he was the special teams coach for the Philadelphia Eagles and his biggest worry was whether the snap, the hold and the kick were going to be perfect.
Now, years later, he is a Pro Football Hall of Fame-worthy head coach for the Ravens. On Friday, he received a three-year extension, keeping him in purple and black for what could be the balance of his career.
Harbaugh is the second longest-tenured head coach, behind only Pittsburgh Steelers icon Mike Tomlin. Harbaugh will be 66 when the contract is over.
No matter what the Ravens accomplish this offseason, this could very well be their their best signing of the season. Harbaugh has taken the Ravens to the playoffs 12 times in 17 seasons and has built a powerhouse in the AFC North.
Who can forget his Ravens' memorable Super Bowl XLVII win over the San Francisco 49ers, who at the time were coached by his brother Jim? The Harbaugh Bowl will go down in history as one of the best games in league history. Now, he'll get to continue playing it against his brother's Los Angeles Chargers.
Harbaugh and former general manager Ozzie Newsome were responsible for scouting and drafting Hall of Famers and maintaining the pipeline of high-level talent that keeps Baltimore comeptitive. He also was the brains behind the selection of quarterback and two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson.
When people in NFL circles thought Jackson was a gimmick and could only run the ball and was not suited to play quarterback, Harbaugh put his reputation on the line. It is paying off nicely. Jackson has emerged as one of the best quarterbacks in the league and a possible Hall of Famer once he hangs it up.
Harbaugh also convinced current general manager Eric DeCosta to take a shot on an aging running back last offseason in Derrick Henry. Henry led the AFC in rushing and total yards from scrimmage and helped the Ravens win the division title.
With the head coach spot steady for the foreseeable future, the Ravens are set to potentially get over the hump in 2025.
