The Baltimore Ravens have been fortunate to have two excellent head coaches in their short history: Brian Billick and John Harbaugh. Billick gave Baltimore an identity that has carried over to today. It is a tough, hard-nosed, physical style of football that can win anywhere, especially on the road. In nine years as head coach, Billick established that identity and won a Super Bowl in 2000, five playoff wins, 80 regular season wins, and four playoff appearances.
Eventually, Harbaugh would step in for Billick after he was let go following the 2007 season. In 16 years, Harbaugh established his own identity and culture in Baltimore, guiding him to a Super Bowl title of his own in 2012, 11 playoff wins, and 10 playoff appearances. Entering Sunday’s game with the Cleveland Browns, Harbaugh sat at 149 regular season wins.
John Harbaugh Gets Milestone Win Against Cleveland
Fittingly, Baltimore would dominate the Browns 28-3, primarily thanks to a smoldering defensive outing. The defense forced three turnovers and got after rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson all game. It was a pure Ravens win filled with its identity that was first established by Billick. With this victory, Harbaugh reached his career’s 150th regular season win milestone.
In terms of active coaches, only Bill Belichick, Andy Reid, Pete Carroll, Sean Payton, Mike McCarthy, and Mike Tomlin have more than Harbaugh. It puts him ahead of Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher on the all-time wins list. Harbaugh has more regular season wins than coaches such as Cowher, Marv Levy, Tony Dungy, and John Madden. All of whom are in the Hall of Fame.
What Harbaugh Has Meant To The Ravens
Over the years, Harbaugh has endured his fair share of critics. Some say he’s too much a special teams coach and not an offensive mind in today’s NFL. Some believe he isn’t getting the most out of Lamar Jackson. Others believe he holds onto assistant coaches a little too long than he should (that part is probably true). Then some think he is living off a Super Bowl title from a decade ago. Whatever Ravens fans feel about him, there’s no denying what he has meant to the franchise.
Since he stepped foot into the Ravens facility in 2008, the Ravens have been playoff competitors every year except one (2015). They are always in the race and a threat to win the Super Bowl virtually every year. Under his watch, the team almost always plays meaningful games in November and December before heading off to playoff football in January. He is the coach who, in the playoffs, has gone into Pittsburgh, Denver, New England (twice), Kansas City, Tennessee (twice) and come out with a win.
After the Ravens struggled to find one for years, he helped draft not one but two franchise quarterbacks in Jackson and his predecessor, Joe Flacco. Harbaugh brought all of this since his first win against the Cincinnati Bengals as a rookie coach with a rookie Flacco. Fast forward 16 years later, players have come and gone, general managers have changed hands, and he still has the team winning and currently in first place. Add all of it up, and he is undoubtedly on track to make the Hall of Fame one day.
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Main Photo: David Richard – USA Today Sports
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