John Harbaugh was named the head coach of the New York Giants on January 20, 2026. A Super Bowl XLVII champion who led the Baltimore Ravens to 12 postseason appearances and six division titles, Harbaugh is the 21st head coach in franchise history.
Harbaugh brings a wealth of experience to the Giants as he enters his 29th season in the NFL and 19th as a head coach. Harbaugh began his NFL coaching career in 1998 as a special teams coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles, a position he held for nine seasons before leading the Eagles secondary in 2007.
In 2008, Harbaugh was named the head coach of the Ravens, where he spent 18 seasons at the helm, establishing and maintaining a model of consistent success in the NFL.
Harbaugh compiled a record of 180-113 (.614) and led four different Ravens teams to the AFC Championship game, including a 28-13 victory over the New England Patriots that catapulted Baltimore to Super Bowl XLVII. In that game, Harbaugh led the Ravens to a 34-31 victory over the San Francisco 49ers, who were led by his brother, Jim Harbaugh. It marked the second World Championship in Ravens franchise history.
Harbaugh's 180 regular-season victories are the 14th-most in NFL history, while his 13 postseason wins are tied for the 7th-most. Overall, his 193 wins (regular season and playoffs) are the 13th-most all-time. Harbaugh also owns eight road playoff wins, the most in league history.
In Harbaugh's first season with the Ravens, he led Baltimore to an 11-5 mark and an appearance in the AFC Championship game. That began a run of five consecutive playoff appearances from 2008 to 2012, including Super Bowl XLVII in 2012. Harbaugh is the only head coach to win a playoff game in each of his first five seasons since 1970.
In 2019, Harbaugh was named the Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year after orchestrating the Ravens to a franchise-best 14-2 record and its first-ever No. 1 playoff seed. He became the first Ravens coach to win the Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year Award. He was also a finalist for the award in 2023.
Over the course of Harbaugh's career in Baltimore, the Ravens consistently excelled in all three phases of the game. From 2008 to 2025, Baltimore averaged a league-leading 139.8 rushing yards per game, 10 more yards than the next closest team. Harbaugh produced offenses that finished in the top ten in total yards five times during his tenure, including 2024, when the Ravens set a franchise record, averaging 424.9 total yards per game. Baltimore has also finished among the top five in points per game three times since 2019, when they led the NFL, averaging 33.2 points per game.
The Ravens dominated on the ground during Harbaugh's tenure, ranking among the top five in rushing yards per game across 10 different seasons, including finishing first in 2019, 2020, 2023, 2024 and 2025. As a unit, the Ravens led the NFL from 2008-25 in yards per carry (4.62) and ranked third with 306 rushing touchdowns.
In nine of Harbaugh's 18 seasons as head coach, the Ravens ranked among the top three teams in points allowed. Baltimore allowed 19.4 points per game from 2008 to 2025, the fewest points among all NFL teams. Also in that span, the Ravens allowed 96.6 rushing yards per game, the fewest in the NFL and the only team under 100 yards. Five of Harbaugh's defenses ranked within the top five for yards allowed per game (2008, 2009, 2011, 2018 and 2019), including allowing a league-low 292.9 yards per game in 2018.
Harbaugh's defense in 2023 ranked first in the NFL with 60 sacks, tying the Baltimore franchise record set by the 2006 team. Five different Ravens teams over the course of Harbaugh's tenure (2024, 2023, 2022, 2014 and 2011) finished among the top five in sacks.
On special teams, Baltimore consistently ranked among the league's best in Football Outsiders' special teams DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average), a metric that measures play-by-play efficiency relative to league averages. Across Harbaugh's 18 seasons, the Ravens finished as the top-rated special teams unit four times (2012, 2015, 2017 and 2021). From 2008 to 2025, the unit recorded 14 top 10 finishes, including nine in the top three.
Eight different Ravens specialists combined for 18 Pro Bowl appearances from 2008 to 2025, including punter Jordan Stout, who set a franchise record with a 50.1 average in 2025 and led the NFL with a 44.9 net average.
During his Ravens tenure, Harbaugh's players frequently represented the organization as a first-team All-Pro honoree. Baltimore guided a league-leading 22 players to first-team All-Pro honors from 2008 to 2025. Those 22 players combined for 37 first-team selections.
Additionally, Harbaugh led 46 different players to Pro Bowl invitations, the most in the NFL since 2008. In 2019, the Ravens had 12 players selected to the Pro Bowl, tying the 1973 Miami Dolphins for the most in a single season prior to any additions or injury replacements. Ultimately, 13 Ravens attended that year.
Harbaugh began his NFL coaching career in 1998 as the special teams coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles, a position he held until 2007, when he worked with the Eagles secondary. While running Philadelphia's special teams, kicker David Akers earned three Pro Bowl nods and 15 Eagles earned Special Teams Player of the Week awards.
Prior to working in the NFL, Harbaugh worked his way through the college ranks. He began his coaching career in 1984, serving as a graduate assistant under his father at Western Michigan. In 1987, he coached tight ends at Pittsburgh before spending the 1988 season at Morehead State working with defensive backs, special teams and strength and conditioning.
In 1989, Harbaugh earned a job at the University of Cincinnati and over the course of the next six seasons, spent time recruiting and working with special teams, tight ends, outside linebackers and running backs. Harbaugh spent 1995 and 1996 as the assistant head coach at Cincinnati, when the Bearcats posted back-to-back seasons with a 6-5 record, the school's first time having a winning record in consecutive seasons since 1981 and 1982.
Off the field, Harbaugh proudly supports the U.S. Military. In 2013, he was awarded the NFL's Salute to Service Award, which acknowledges exceptional efforts by those in the league who honor and support military members. He was also a finalist for the award in 2011. In 2012, the late Army Chief of Staff General Raymond Odierno presented Harbaugh and former Giants head coach and franchise Ring of Honor inductee Tom Coughlin with the Outstanding Civilian Service Award during a ceremony at Fort Myer in Virginia.
Harbaugh has also spent time visiting several military stations, including bases in the Persian Gulf, the Naval Special Warfare Center, Andrews Air Force Base and undisclosed locations in Turkey and Afghanistan. In 2008, Harbaugh established a Military Appreciation Day at Baltimore's training camp, providing service members with an opportunity to view practice and meet Ravens players and coaches. During the season, Harbaugh invited wounded warriors to be his guests at every Ravens home game.
Harbaugh was raised around the game of football. His father, Jack Harbaugh, coached for 41 years, which includes 19 years as the head coach of two collegiate programs (Western Michigan, 1982-86, and Western Kentucky, 1989-2002). His younger brother, Jim, is currently the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. Jim previously held stints as the head coach at the collegiate level with Stanford (2007-2010) and Michigan (2015-2023). At the professional level, Jim directed the San Francisco 49ers from 2011-2014 and has been leading the Chargers since 2024.
Born in Toledo, Ohio, Harbaugh attended Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he and his brother are members of the school's Hall of Fame. Harbaugh has also been recognized by his alma mater, Miami (Ohio) University, where he was inducted into the "Cradle of Coaches." In recognition of this honor, a statue of Harbaugh stands on the campus in Oxford, Ohio. The association honors Miami graduates who have achieved the highest levels of coaching success at the collegiate or professional level.
Harbaugh played defensive back for the Redhawks while earning his bachelor's degree in political science. He also obtained a master's in physical education from Western Michigan.
John and his wife, Ingrid, have one daughter, Alison, who is currently attending law school at Loyola University Chicago.
2026-Present: New York Giants - Head Coach
2008-25: Baltimore Ravens - Head Coach
2007: Philadelphia Eagles - Secondary
1998-2006: Philadelphia Eagles - Special Teams Coordinator
1997: Indiana University - DBs/Special Teams Coordinator
1995-96: University of Cincinnati - Assistant Head Coach
1989-94: University of Cincinnati - Special Teams/TEs/OLBs/RBs
1988: Morehead State - DBs/Special Teams/Strength & Conditioning
1987: Pittsburgh - Tight Ends
1984-86: Western Michigan - Graduate Assistant
