A surprise choice as head coach in Baltimore three years ago, John Harbaugh has coached the Ravens to a playoff victory in three straight seasons.
That consistency was rewarded Monday when the Ravens announced a contract extension for him.
“Having John increases our opportunity to compete for the NFL championship every year, which is our goal,” team President Dick Cass said in a statement.
ESPN.com’s Mike Sando has a chart Monday that notes Harbaugh is tied for fifth among active coaches in playoff wins with four. Only the Eagles and Colts have joined the Ravens as playoff participants the last three years, and only the Ravens won a playoff game in each season. Harbaugh is 36-19 over three seasons, including the playoffs.
The challenge for Harbaugh now is to make the Super Bowl. This is an organization set up for long-term success, but the aging defensive tandem of Ed Reed and Ray Lewis can only have so many more runs left in them.
UPDATE: Jamison Hensley of the Baltimore Sun reports it’s a three-year extension that runs through 2014.