John William Harbaugh is an American football head coach for the Baltimore Ravens in the National Football League (NFL). Over the course of his fifteen-year tenure as head coach, Harbaugh has guided the Ravens to eleven winning seasons and just two losing ones. Aside from winning Super Bowl XLVII, Harbaugh has led the Ravens to four AFC Championship appearances and five AFC North Division championships. He has also guided the Ravens to 172 victories (postseason included), which ranks third in the NFL. Furthermore, he has appeared in 20 playoff games, which is the second-most of any NFL head coach. Along with owning the record for the most road playoff victories of any head coach in NFL history, he is also the only coach in the league's history to win a playoff game in six of his first seven seasons as a head coach.

Harbaugh attended Pioneer High School, where he began his football journey. Later, he enrolled at Miami University and played football as a defensive back, graduating in 1984. He began his coaching career with the Western Michigan, serving as the running backs and outside linebackers coach from 1984 to 1987. His father, Jack, spent 45 years coaching running backs, defensive end, and assistant coaching at the collegiate level. John's younger brother, Jim, is also the head coach for the Los Angeles Chargers, making them the first brothers to head coach in NFL history.

John Harbaugh's Personal Information

John Harbaugh's Early Life

John Harbaugh was born in Toledo, Ohio, to Jackie and Jack Harbaugh, on September 23, 1962. He also has a sister named Joani and a younger brother, Jim, who is also a football coach. Following his graduation from Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Harbaugh enrolled at Miami University in Ohio. At Miami of Ohio, John shared a room with the late Brian Pillman, a well-known figure in WCW, ECW, and WWE. He graduated in 1984 after playing defensive back on the varsity football team there.

John Harbaugh’s Net Worth

As of October 2024, John Harbaugh’s net worth is $40 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

John Harbaugh House

According to Pro Football Network, John Harbaugh is the owner of a $3 million mansion in Owings Mills, MD. This huge mansion on 7.05 acres showcases both antique architecture and modern amenities. There are six bedrooms on the property—three on each floor—six and a half baths, a large foyer, and roomy living areas.

John Harbaugh Contract & Salary

As per the Baltimore Ravens, Harbaugh got his contract extended for a second time in March 2022, the last of his four-year term, to remain in Baltimore until 2025. His total contract value is not disclosed. However as per Celebrity Net Worth, he is set to earn $12 million in annual salary for three years. It made him one of the league's highest-paid coaches. He is now tied for the fourth-highest paid coach, alongside Andy Reid of the Chiefs.

Harbaugh has had multiple extensions with the Ravens since 2008, starting with a four-year, $8.8 million deal. However, the 2013 and 2019 contract extensions were notable, both being of four years, but the former was worth $28 million, with an annual average salary of $7 million, and the latter was worth $36 million, with an annual average salary of $9 million, as per Celebrity Net Worth.

John Harbaugh Coaching History

John Harbaugh began his coaching career right after graduation from the Miami University in 1984, with the Western Michigan University in 1984. As an assistant coach, he made a few transitions to the University of Pittsburgh in 1987, Morehead State University in 1988, University of Cincinnati in 1989 to 1996 and the Indiana University in 1997.

The next season, 1998, gave his first NFL break with the Philadelphia Eagles, although at an assistant level, under Ray Rhodes and later Andy Reid. In 2008, he got the opportunity to be head coach with the Baltimore Ravens even though he had no prior head coaching experience. But his hiring proved to be one of the most important coaching decisions made by the Ravens, winning the 2012 Super Bowl, among several other achievements.

Western Michigan University (1984-1987)

John Harbaugh became the assistant coach at the position of running backs and outside linebackers for three years at Western Michigan.

University of Pittsburgh (1987)

John Harbaugh served only one season as the tight ends coach at the University of Pittsburgh.

Morehead State University (1988)

John Harbaugh became the special teams coach and secondary coach at Morehead State. He agreed for this position at a time when it was considered that special teams coaches are not qualified to be head coaches. This hiring would come under scrutiny when Harbaugh becomes the head coach of the Ravens later in his career.

University of Cincinnati (1989-1996)

John Harbaugh's eight-year tenure with the University of Cincinnati as the special teams coordinator would prove to be his longest at the collegiate level.

Indiana University (1997)

John Harbaugh became special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach at Indiana University. This was also his last tenure as a college assistant coach.

Philadelphia Eagles (1998-2007)

John Harbough was one of the four assistant coaches that Andy Reid, the new head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, kept after hiring him for the first time in 1998. He is therefore a member of the Sid Gillman coaching tree. In 2004, he was considered a potential successor to Gary Darnell as head football coach at Western Michigan, where he served as an assistant coach from 1984 to 1987 while obtaining a Master's degree.

He was the Eagles' special teams coach for nine years until taking over as defensive backs coach in 2007. As special teams coaches were not considered capable of becoming head coaches at the time by executives, this satisfied his request to head coach Reid and increased his prospects of being hired as head coach.

Baltimore Ravens (2008-present)

After raising his salary and being promoted to associate head coach, Jason Garrett—the team's initial choice—decided to stay with the Dallas Cowboys, making Harbaugh the third-ever head coach of the Baltimore Ravens in January 2008. Due to his lack of head coaching experience at any level and his lack of NFL experience as an offensive or defensive coordinator, he was not seen as a favorite for the job.

On the other hand, his previous coaching positions impressed Team Owner Steve Bisciotti, General Manager Ozzie Newsome, and Vice President of player personnel. The decision to choose Harbough paid off, as he is the most successful head coach in franchise history with 172 wins, including postseason wins. Having started in 2008, he also has the second-longest tenure of any active coach.

After his debut with the Ravens, the team went from 5-11 in 2007 to 11-5 in 2008. In 2012, the Ravens won their second Super Bowl in franchise history.

John Harbaugh’s Achievements and Awards

John Harbaugh has the most road playoff wins, eight, which is an NFL coaching record, along with winning the 2012 Super Bowl, the 2019 PFWA Coach of the Year, AP NFL Coach of the Year and Maxwell Club NFL Coach of the Year.

Super Bowl Champion (XLVII)

John was given the chance to play against his brother Jim and the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII in February 2013, after the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship in January 2013. There were many who then dubbed Super Bowl XLVII as the "Harbowl." Ultimately, the 49ers were beaten 34-31 by the Ravens, and John celebrated this success by giving each member of his staff a replica Lombardi trophy once it was won.

AP NFL Coach of the Year (2019)

Harbaugh guided the Ravens to a 14-2 regular season record and the top seed in the AFC playoffs during the season. The Ravens fell short against the Tennessee Titans 28-12 in the Divisional Round. Therefore, Harbaugh won the AP NFL Coach of the Year award for his efforts in the 2019 season.

PFWA Coach of the Year (2019)

John Harbough won the PFWA Coach of the Year Award, in light of winning the AP NFL Coach of the Year.

Maxwell Club NFL Coach of the Year (2019)

Every year, a number of news and sports organizations present the Maxwell Club National Football League Coach of the Year Award to the NFL head coach who has applied his available talent to the best of his ability. Thus, making John Harbaugh the ideal candidate for winning 14 matches in the regular season and losing two.

John Harbaugh Coaching Tree

John Harbaugh’s coaching tree is as follows:

John Harbaugh Family

John Harbaugh's parents are Jackie Cipiti and Jack Avon Harbaugh. John also has a brother, Jim and a sister, Joani. Furthermore, his wife is Ingrid, with whom he has a daughter, Allison.

John Harbaugh’s parents

John's parents are Jack and Jacqueline M. "Jackie" Cipiti. The couple got married in 1961, and they have three children, John, Joani and Jim. Following Jack's hiring as Associate Athletic Director at Milwaukee's Marquette University, they made their home in Mequon, Wisconsin. Harbaugh belongs to the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity chapter at Bowling Green State University.

Jack, John's father, was a football head coach at Western Michigan University and Western Kentucky University before retiring. He played for Bowling Green State University as a halfback from 1957 to 1960. He began his coaching career in 1962 with Perrysburg High School, as an assistant coach. Jack's career college football head coaching record is 116–95–3, while coaching football at Western Michigan University from 1982 to 1986 and Western Kentucky University from 1989 to 2002. He guided the 2002 Hilltoppers to an NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship, and won the AFCA Coach of the Year Award.

John Harbaugh’s Siblings

John Harbaugh has a sister, Joani, who met Tom Crean, her husband, when Jack was Western Kentucky University's head football coach and Crean was Ralph Willard's assistant basketball coach. Tom Crean was previously the head coach of men's basketball at the University of Georgia and Indiana University.

John's younger brother, Jim Harbaugh, is the head coach for the Los Angeles Chargers. However, he has also played professionally and was the #26 overall pick in the 1987 Draft by the Chicago Bears. After spending seven seasons with the Bears, he joined the Indianapolis Colts in 1994–1997, the Baltimore Ravens in 1998, the San Diego Chargers in 1999–2000, and the Detroit Lions (practice squad) and Carolina Panthers in 2001. His coaching career began with Western Kentucky University in 1994-2001, and he joined the NFL as a quarterback coach with the Oakland Raiders (Las Vegas Raiders) in 2002. After serving nine years with the University of Michigan as Head Coach in 2015-2023, he was hired for the Chargers in 2024.

John Harbaugh’s Wife

John Harbough has been married to Ingrid since 1991, as per Pro Football Network. The couple has a daughter, Alison, who, from 2020 to 2024, was a member of the University of Notre Dame lacrosse team.

According to Heavy.com, Ingrid first got to know John outside of the NFL in 1985, while John was a graduate assistant at Western Michigan University, and Ingrid was employed by the baseball team there.