When John Harbaugh was hired to be the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens in January of 2008, the first inauguration of President Barack Obama had not taken place yet, beloved sitcom “Modern Family” was still a year and a half away from airing its pilot episode and the Tom Brady and Bill Belichick-led New England Patriots were eying the second perfect season in NFL history. Needless to say, this world is unrecognizable from the one that saw the former Philadelphia Eagles defensive backs coach arrive in Charm City.
Nearly 18 years later, Harbaugh is leaving Baltimore. The Ravens fired the Super Bowl 47 champion and 2019 AP NFL Coach of the Year on Tuesday, ending the most prosperous era in franchise history. Many fans predicted this outcome (and some demanded it) after the squad blew multiple chances to clinch the AFC North versus the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night, but it is still surreal to see such a huge change take place after so many years.
Mike Tomlin, the man who essentially plunged the final dagger into Harbaugh's HC tenure, is surely feeling nostalgic following the news. His Steelers have contested a number of memorable battles with the Ravens, so he can appreciate what his contemporary and rival means to the game. An old interaction between the two longtime coaches seems especially pertinent on this day.
“Man, we've been in a bunch of these, you and I, haven't we?” Tomlin asked Harbaugh before a divisional matchup in October of 2023, per The 33rd Team's Ari Meirov. “I remember one time sitting and talking about what our kids were for Halloween. And them damn kids now grown… That's the perspective.”
End of an era. The Ravens–Steelers battles with Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh as HCs have come to an end.
They faced each other 44 times.
"I remember one time sitting and talking about what our kids were for Halloween. And them damn kids now grown."pic.twitter.com/5W3MqYl9hd https://t.co/py4h1twdVG
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 6, 2026
Tomlin's job status has been a popular topic among fans for the last few years and could be again if the Steelers fall to the Houston Texans in the AFC Wild Card round. He understands what it takes to endure and win in the NFL. Neither of these champs are immune to the passage of time, however.
Everything inevitably comes to an end at some point. Harbaugh got axed after amassing a 180-113 record and 13 playoff victories. The 63-year-old should be a coveted commodity in the current head coaching cycle, as he brings impressive credentials and loads of experience to the open market.
Perhaps John Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin will get to have another poignant conversation before their teams face off on the gridiron.
