The Baltimore Ravens really like John Harbaugh. Less than hour before kickoff on Thursday it was announced the team extended the Super Bowl winning coach’s contract.
John Harbaugh is 54-26 in five seasons as Baltimore’s head coach. He has never missed the playoffs since taking over in 2008. Last year Harbaugh reached the promised land and won the Super Bowl. He is firmly established as one of the best coaches in the NFL.
Harbaugh found his quarterback right away by taking Joe Flacco in his first draft. Amidst criticism of whether Flacco was the real deal, Harbaugh never faltered in his conviction.
Flacco rewarded his head coach with the Raven’s second Super Bowl championship in team history. Baltimore rewarded Flacco with a $120 million contract. Now Baltimore has rewarded Harbaugh for all of his hard work too.
The contract extension is for four years. Monetary terms of the deal have not yet been released.
As a head coach John Harbaugh is special. The Baltimore Ravens understand this. General manager Ozzie Newsome didn’t need to wait for Harbaugh’s contract to expire and risk losing him.
One can only guess how John Harbaugh feels. He has spent a career overshadowed by his brother, Jim. Jim Harbaugh played QB in the NFL for a number of years before getting into coaching. He resurrected the Standford college program before taking over the 49ers.
The two brothers squared off in the Super Bowl in February and John came out victorious. Before becoming head coach of the Ravens, John was the Special Teams and defensive backs coach for the Eagles. Life has been good to him recently.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter broke news of the extension via Twitter:
Baltimore HC John Harbaugh and Ravens have agreed to a multi-year contract extension, per NFL sources. More on ESPN2.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 5, 2013
Which he followed up with:
Before newly agreed-to deal, Ravens HC John Harbaugh had two more years remaining. Now has multiple years left.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 5, 2013
The contract extension between John Harbaugh and the Ravens is great for the city of Baltimore. It ensures that the most successful coach in team history will remain with the team for a long time.
[image via Wikimedia Commons ]