John Harbaugh: ‘Not sure’ what Jim Harbaugh’s plans are
The Baltimore Ravens will face the Houston Texans in the Division Round of the NFL playoffs this week. As John Harbaugh gets his team ready, his brother Jim Harbaugh has been conducting interviews to potentially rejoin the NFL coaching ranks. The Michigan Wolverines head coach has completed interviews with the L.A. Chargers and the Atlanta Falcons, which indicates that there is a legitimate chance Harbaugh will not return to Ann Arbor after winning the national championship.
Reporters asked John this week what it would be like to coach against his brother once again. The two faced off in Super Bowl XLVII with the Ravens coming out on top of the 49ers and though it’s been nearly a decade since they’ve coached from opposite sides of the field, that could soon become reality again.
“I’m not sure what Jim’s plans are. I think whatever he does, it’ll be what’s best for him and his family,” John Harbaugh said on Thursday. “I know Michigan has been a joy for him to go back to his alma mater. His family loves it there. The players love him. He loves the players, coaches [and] the fan base. I don’t know exactly what direction he’s going to go.
“I would think that the [university] President and the Board of Trustees would be doing everything that they can to try and keep him. That’d be priority No. 1 if I was them, but I think at the end he’s going to do whatever’s best for him and his family.”
“He loves Michigan, but he loves the NFL, too,” Harbaugh added. “So, we’ll just have to see.”
John Harbaugh: Jim’s ‘best coach in football’
Although reports have Bill Belichick as the lead candidate for the Falcons job, Harbaugh is considered a front-runner for the job in Los Angeles. His resume with multiple stops on the West Coast makes it a logical option for the 60-year-old coach.
The Ravens head coach went so far as to call his brother the “best coach in football,” with no qualifier. Harbaugh believes Jim gets the best out of his players and his teams, regardless of the league or conference, are always well prepared.
“Eventually, [Jim’s team] will be on the schedule,” John Harbaugh said, speaking hypothetically. “Those are always challenging games, because he’s such a great coach. His teams are always ready to roll. They always are. They’re always well coached. Always fundamentally sound. They always play super hard. They’re always connected emotionally.
“I think he’s the best coach in football. He’s a great coach.”
As the Michigan head coach continues going through the interview process, he’ll watch his brother and the Ravens face C.J. Stroud and the Texans on Saturday. Kickoff for the game in Baltimore is at 4:30 p.m. ET.