The Ravens are taking a look at an experienced candidate this weekend for their head coaching vacancy.
According to multiple reports, Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy will interview for the role on Sunday.
Nagy, 47, was Bears head coach from 2018-2021, accumulating a 34-31 record. He’s been back with the Chiefs since his tenure ended, serving as senior assistant and QBs coach in 2022 before being promoted to offensive coordinator in 2023.
The Cardinals, Raiders, and Titans have also expressed interest in Nagy during this coaching cycle. Nagy is meeting with the Raiders on Thursday.
When it comes to finding his next coaching job, John Harbaugh will attack the day with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind.
Starting next week.
The plan to press pause conflicts with the Harbaugh ethic. It’s a strategy, aimed at one apparent thing: Finding out whether the six games to be played this weekend will lead to more openings.
Multiple reports indicate at least nine teams have expressed interest in Harbaugh. With only six non-Ravens openings, that leaves three teams that currently have coaches. And 14 teams still have games to play.
For more than a few of the playoff teams, there’s no way Harbaugh would be a consideration. The Broncos and Seahawks, obviously, will be standing pat. Ditto for the likes of the Patriots, Chargers (that would be a very awkward phone call), Jaguars, Rams, 49ers, Bears, and Texans.
As to the rest, is it crazy to think the Steelers are thinking about the possibility of Mike Tomlin choosing to exit after 19 years? Sure, the Steelers typically hire coaches in their 30s and keep them for a long time. (Harbaugh, at 63, is four years older than Chuck Noll when he retired in 1991.) But if Tomlin walks, maybe they’d embrace a guy who seems to be more than ready to go for another decade or longer.
Some are suggesting that the Eagles would consider bringing Harbaugh back to Philly, where he spent 10 years before becoming Baltimore’s head coach. That would be beyond stunning, given what Nick Sirianni has accomplished in his first five seasons. There’s still a lingering sense that the Eagles are supremely talented, and that they fail far too often to get the most out of what they have. (It would still be an all-time “oh shit” move.)
In Carolina, is David Tepper (a former Steelers minority owner who knows very well what Harbaugh can do) thinking about an upgrade? Even though the Panthers won the NFC South, they were 8-9. And Dave Canales is 13-21 in two seasons, a winning percentage of 38.2.
Harbaugh, in 18 years, has won 61.4 percent of his games.
The two to watch most closely — and the two teams that folks around the league are indeed watching the most closely — are the Packers and Bills.
In Green Bay, new team president Ed Policy has already made it clear that a decision will be made after the season as to whether Matt LaFleur will get a new contract. Policy also has made it clear that he doesn’t like lame-duck arrangements, and LaFleur is signed only through 2026.
Less than two weeks ago, Policy saw what a Harbaugh-led team can do at Lambeau Field, when the Ravens steamrolled the Packers in a 41-24 win.
In Buffalo, it can be argued that the window has already closed on the Bills, and that the supreme skills and abilities of quarterback Josh Allen have created the impression that it remains open. An early, ugly exit against a Jaguars team that is, frankly, better than the Bills could be the thing that prompts owner Terry Pegula to make a change.
Regardless, the fact that Harbaugh’s agent initially said seven teams called combined with the decision to wait until next week to interview for any of the vacancies creates the inescapable impression that one or more of the teams playing this weekend could be contemplating a potential coaching change. And folks in the know are eyeballing Green Bay and Buffalo.
If nothing else, the Harbaugh factor adds plenty of spice to an already spicy six pack of first-round playoff games. Especially if Packers-Bears or Bills-Jaguars comes down to a 44-yard field goal that is missed.
The Ravens are getting the ball rolling on their first head coaching search in nearly 20 years on Thursday.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that they will interview a pair of Broncos assistants. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph and quarterbacks coach/pass game coordinator Davis Webb will both interview remotely during their bye week.
Joseph had a two-year stint as the Broncos’ head coach in 2017 and 2018, and he has returned to the candidate ranks thanks to his strong work running the defense for Sean Payton the last couple of years. He’s drawn a lot of interest from teams in this cycle.
Webb is just three years into his coaching career, which makes him a new addition to those ranks. He’s also been linked with the Raiders.
John Harbaugh will take his time before interviewing for his next job.
Harbaugh is not expected to conduct any head-coach interviews until next week, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
The Ravens fired Harbaugh on Tuesday after 18 years as their head coach. That instantly made him an attractive candidate for other head coaching vacancies, and perhaps for some teams that don’t yet have vacancies but would fire their current coach if Harbaugh wanted to replace him.
Because Harbaugh is viewed as the top candidate in this hiring cycle, he can take his time and be selective about interviews. Other candidates who are eager to get any head-coaching job will jump at the first chance to interview, and assistant coaches on playoff teams have to schedule their interviews in accordance with league rules that dictate when they can interview and when they’re with their current teams. But Harbaugh has the freedom to tell teams that if they want to interview him, they’ll have to do it on his schedule.
If the betting odds are to be believed, Harbaugh is likely to become the next head coach of the Giants, where he’s the -250 favorite to land the job. But it doesn’t appear that he’s in a rush to interview for the Giants or any other job.
Their 40th meeting in 18 seasons ended up being the last. For now.
Regardless of where former Ravens coach John Harbaugh goes next, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin appreciates the significance of their relationship as adversaries.
“I just have so much respect for Harbs,” Tomlin told Rich Eisen on Wednesday. “Our stories will forever be interwoven. This rivalry that we’ve been fortunate and honored enough to be a part of, I’ve just got so much respect for him and how he’s gone about his business. And we’ve certainly had some legendary battles over the years.
“In terms of him being let go, unfortunately, I just think it’s a component of today’s sport culture. And so, you know, there’ve been many examples of that, and so it’s unfortunate. But I’m sure that he is going to move on and if he chooses to coach again, I’m sure he will, and I’m sure he’ll be very successful at doing so. But more than anything, I just think it’s a larger example of today’s sport culture in terms of not a lot of patience and the entertainment component of what it is that we do. There’s just not a lot of longevity. You know, I’m sure we all would like to be Don Shula and Tom Landry, but I think those days are gone.”
Although turnover has always been part of the coaching industry, the modern NFL sees roughly 25 percent of the head-coaching jobs become vacant every year. This time around, it’s seven — with possibly more to come.
One of those could be Tomlin. Not because he’ll be fired, but if he chooses to leave. There are indications he has a TV offer tucked in his back pocket, and that he’ll have to decide after the Steelers’ postseason run ends what he’ll do next.
If that happens, Harbaugh will surely hope to see Tomlin return. With Tomlin leading 23-17, Harbaugh will want to have more chances to close the gap.
