Browns definitely doing their diligence on John Harbaugh for their head coach vacancy; he won’t do any interviews until next week
CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Browns are definitely doing their diligence on John Harbaugh, fired Tuesday by the Ravens, as a possible replacement for Kevin Stefanski.
Harbaugh, 62, won’t begin interviewing until next week, a league source told cleveland.com. But the Browns will likely be on the list unless Harbaugh already has a slam-dunk job with another team.
He’s believed to have legitimate interest in coaching the Browns, even with the uncertain quarterback situation and looming rebuild of the offense.
The Giants and Dolphins, who fired Mike McDaniel on Thursday, are expected to heavily pursue him. The Browns are also interested in McDaniel, their former receivers coach in 2014, and the Giants also interviewed Stefanski on Wednesday.
The Browns have already requested permission to interview Harbaugh’s former Ravens offensive coordinator, Todd Monken, as well as Seahawks defensive coordinator Aden Durde and Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher, who broke into the NFL in scouting with the Colts in 2012 under Browns GM Andrew Berry, who was director of pro scouting at the time.
The Browns kicked off their interview slate on Thursday by talking to two of their own assistants, offensive coordinator Tommy Rees and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, at Browns headquarters for their head coach vacancy, The Browns would love to keep both in some capacity depending on how all the pieces fit together.
They will also request interviews with other candidates, but can only conduct virtual sessions with coaches employed by NFL teams until Jan. 19, after the divisional round. They must also follow the elaborate rules for interviewing coaches headed to the championship games and the Super Bowl, which is Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, Ca.
Teams must also satisfy The Rooney Rule, which stipulates that they must interview two candidates, either a minority or a woman, in person before making a hire.
One big plus for Harbaugh, a Super Bowl winner, is that he might want to retain Schwartz, and really likes Rees, a rising star in the business, and a one-year coordinator in the NFL. Another is that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has admired Harbaugh for many years. Yet another is that Harbaugh has Cleveland roots — his mother Jackie graduated from Shaw High and his parents honeymooned at a Browns game. John and his brother Jim, head coach of the Chargers, grew up Browns and Guardians fans, attending games with their mom and dad, Jack, an Ohio native, former Bowling Green halfback, and longtime college coach.
“All of our family on my mom’s side is from Cleveland, and all of my family on my dad’s side is Browns fans. We all grew up Browns fans,” Harbaugh said in 2018.
Harbaugh has also dominated the Browns in his 18 seasons, going 27-8 against them, including 12-5 in Cleveland.
In a move that stunned the NFL world, he was fired after the Ravens finished 8-9 following their 26-24 loss to the Steelers on Sunday night. They had a chance to win the AFC North with a victory, but rookie kicker Tyler Loop, their sixth-round pick, missed the 44-yard game-winning field goal attempt as time expired. The Steelers clinched the division instead.
The Browns are conducting a thorough search for their next head coach, and are open-minded about which side of the ball he comes from. Harbaugh came from special teams, and parlayed that experience into a wildly successful run with the Ravens, including 185 wins over his 18 seasons. He also boasts 13 winning seasons and 24 playoff games. He’s also led the Ravens, first with Joe Flacco and then with Lamar Jackson, to a total of four AFC North titles.
A Toledo native, Harbaugh is extremely well thought-of by the Browns organization. But if they really want him, they’ll likely have to fight hard for him. He’s in demand, and a bidding war could ensue for his services.
Harbaugh, who instantly became the hottest candidate on the market, has been a constant on the Ravens’ sideline for nearly two decades, a rarity in a league defined by churn and quick exits. Hired in January 2008 after a long NFL stint as a special teams coach, Harbaugh arrived in Baltimore without the buzz of a play-calling pedigree. What he brought instead was organizational discipline, attention to detail and an ability to manage an entire operation — traits that are high on the Browns’ list.
Harbaugh took over a team built on defense and toughness, and his early success came quickly. In his first season, the Ravens went 11–5 and reached the AFC Championship Game with a dominant defense and with Flacco at the helm as a rookie. That formula — physical football, situational excellence and postseason poise — became a Harbaugh hallmark. From 2008-14, Baltimore reached the playoffs six times, never finishing worse than 8–8, while establishing itself as one of the league’s most difficult teams to prepare for.
The peak of Harbaugh’s early tenure came during the 2012 season, when the Ravens surged through the playoffs and defeated the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII. The championship validated Harbaugh’s steady approach and cemented his credibility inside the locker room, where he was known for demanding accountability while empowering veteran leaders. It also marked the beginning of a rare distinction: Harbaugh and Jim, then coaching the 49ers, became the first siblings to oppose each other in a Super Bowl.
As the roster evolved, so did Harbaugh. The transition from Flacco to Jackson in 2018 reshaped the Ravens’ identity and showcased Harbaugh’s adaptability. Rather than forcing Jackson into a traditional system, Harbaugh committed fully to a run-heavy, option-based offense tailored to his quarterback’s unique skill set. The result was a 14–2 season in 2019, Jackson’s unanimous MVP award and another reinvention of Baltimore’s offensive philosophy.
While postseason success has been uneven in recent years, Harbaugh’s teams have remained competitive despite injuries and roster turnover. His leadership has been especially valued during periods of transition, with general manager Eric DeCosta and owner Steve Bisciotti consistently backing his long-term vision. Harbaugh’s ability to refresh his staff, modernize schemes and maintain locker-room credibility has allowed the Ravens to avoid the boom-and-bust cycles common elsewhere.
Measured not just by wins but by sustained relevance, Harbaugh’s tenure stands as one of the defining coaching runs of his era — a blend of stability, adaptability and organizational trust rarely matched in today’s NFL.
And in some ways, Harbaugh, who still has family in Cleveland, would be coaching his beloved “hometown” team.
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