The Baltimore Ravens have seen plenty of success under longtime head coach John Harbaugh. Since being hired in 2008, Harbaugh has been able to lead Baltimore to a 129-79 (.620) regular season record, while also having a 11-8 (.579) record in the playoffs. He has been a beacon of consistency, as the Ravens have been competitive in almost every single season since his arrival.
When ranking his top head coaches entering the 2021 NFL season, Eric Eager of Pro Football Focus gave Harbaugh the respect he deserves, ranking him as the second-best coach in the NFL. When describing his decision to give Harbaugh the No. 2 spot on his list, Eager mentioned his consistency and adaptability as key reasons.
“Harbaugh is the second-most tenured coach in the NFL, and he will forever have a place in lists like these after getting a team quarterbacked by Joe Flacco across the finish line in 2012. What is most impressive about Harbaugh is how much he’s adapted to the needs of the NFL circa 2021.”
Eager went into more detail, even going as far as saying that Harbaugh has “a Hall of Fame case”.
“Whether it’s by building defenses from back to front, adapting his team to suit the needs of a once-in-a-generation talent at the quarterback position or listening to the math on fourth-down decision-making (he went for it 64% of the time when he should have in 2020, among the league’s highest rates), Harbaugh is one of the best coaches in the league currently and has a Hall of Fame case to make.”
The only coach that was ranked above Harbaugh was Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid. Harbaugh and Reid have plenty of experience working together, as the two were on the same staff with the Philadelphia Eagles. Harbaugh is part of the Reid coaching tree, and the two are still very good friends.
Harbaugh will look to improve upon his already impressive resumé in 2021. He has the talent, the players, and the staff to do so, and it should be another great year for Baltimore under his leadership.