What NFL Team Did John Harbaugh Play For?

John Harbaugh played for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1986 to 1987.

John Harbaugh’s Early Life

John Harbaugh was born on September 23, 1962, in Toledo, Ohio. He is the son of Jacqueline M. “Jackie” and Jack Avon Harbaugh. His mother was a teacher and his father was a deacon and a former NFL quarterback for the Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears, and the Baltimore Colts. John Harbaugh has three brothers: Jim Harbaugh, a former NFL quarterback and the current head coach of the University of Michigan; Joani Crean, the wife of Indiana University men’s basketball coach Tom Crean; and Jay Harbaugh, the tight ends coach for the University of Michigan.

John Harbaugh’s Family

John Harbaugh was born in Toledo, Ohio, the son of Jacqueline M. “Jackie” (née Caulkins) and Jack Avon Harbaugh. His mother is of half-Sicilian and half-Irish descent and his father has German ancestry. His paternal grandparents, Eva and Milton Harbaugh, were both immigrants. His aunt is the widow of Eugene McCarthy, who was the U.S. Senator from Minnesota. His father played quarterback at Bowling Green State University from 1947 to 1950. He grew up idolizing Woody Hayes as well as quarterbacks Bob Griese and Billy Kilmer
John’s eldest brother, Jim Harbaugh, played quarterback at Michigan State University (MSU) and Stanford University, then participated in five NFL seasons with the Chicago Bears (1987), Baltimore Colts (1987–1989), and Carolina Panthers (1995).

John Harbaugh’s Education

John Harbaugh played football for the Morehead State Eagles, and was a Special Teams Captain his senior year. He graduated from Miami University in 1984 with a degree in Political Science.

John Harbaugh’s Playing Career

John Harbaugh played football for the University of Michigan before going on to have a coaching career in the NFL. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 9th round of the 1987 NFL Draft. He played for the Bears for three seasons from 1987 to 1989. He then played for the Cincinnati Bengals from 1989 to 1996.

John Harbaugh’s College Career

As a defensive back, Harbaugh played college football for Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He then became the school’s graduate assistant coach in 1984. The next year, he was promoted to defensive backs coach, a position he held for four seasons. In 1988, Harbaugh was the special teams coach for the Chicago Bears.

John Harbaugh’s NFL Career

John Harbaugh played quarterback and defensive back for the University of Michigan from 1984 to 1986. He began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Western Michigan University in 1989. From there, he became the special teams coach for the Cincinnati Bengals (1998-2001), the Philadelphia Eagles (2007-2008), and finally the Baltimore Ravens (2008-present). As head coach of the Ravens, he led the team to a victory in Super Bowl XLVII in 2013.

John Harbaugh’s Coaching Career

John Harbaugh is the current head coach of the Baltimore Ravens. He has been the Ravens head coach since 2008. Prior to his coaching career, Harbaugh played football for the Miami Dolphins, the Cincinnati Bengals, and the Chicago Bears.

John Harbaugh’s High School Coaching Career

John Harbaugh coached at several high schools in the early 1980s, including Moreland Ridge Middle School in North County, Annapolis High School and Western Michigan University. He then became an assistant coach at the University of Pittsburgh, where he coached the defensive backs for four seasons. In 1998, he was hired as the special teams coach for the Philadelphia Eagles, a position he held for nine seasons. In 2007, he was hired as the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, where he has coached for 12 seasons.

John Harbaugh’s College Coaching Career

John Harbaugh played four seasons in the NFL, all with the Chicago Bears, as a defensive back. He began his coaching career at Western Kentucky University in 1984 before spending two years as an assistant coach at Morehead State University. In 1987, he returned to Western Kentucky to serve as the defensive coordinator for the Hilltoppers.

In 1988, John Harbaugh became the special teams coach for the Cincinnati Bengals. He would spend two years in Cincinnati before moving on to be the defensive backs coach for the Indiana Hoosiers in 1990. In 1991, he returned to the NFL, this time as the special teams coach for the Philadelphia Eagles. He would spend 10 seasons in Philadelphia, helping the Eagles make five trips to the playoffs during that span.

In 2002, John Harbaugh was hired by Jim Harbaugh (no relation) to be the special teams coach for the Oakland Raiders. He would spend one season with Oakland before being hired by John Gruden to be the special teams coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2007. He would spend one season with Tampa Bay before being hired by Steve Bisciotti to be head coach of the Baltimore Ravens in 2008.

John Harbaugh’s NFL Coaching Career

John Harbaugh is best known for his work as the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, a post he has held since 2008. Prior to his time with the Ravens, Harbaugh served as the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles from 1998 to 2007. During his tenure with the Eagles, Harbaugh led the team to five NFC Championship games and one Super Bowl appearance.

Harbaugh began his NFL coaching career as an assistant coach with the Indianapolis Colts in 1998. He then served as the defensive backs coach for the Eagles from 1999 to 2001 before being promoted to defensive coordinator in 2002. In 2006, Harbaugh was named the Eagles’ head coach after Andy Reid was fired.

Under Harbaugh’s guidance, the Ravens have made the playoffs in seven of his twelve seasons as head coach and have won two AFC Championship titles (2012 and 2020). In 2013, Harbaugh was named the AP NFL Coach of the Year after leading the Ravens to a Super Bowl victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

John Harbaugh’s Family

Harbaugh was born in Toledo, Ohio, the son of Jacqueline M. (Cipiti) and Jack Avon Harbaugh. His mother’s family is of Hungarian descent. His father was of German, Irish, and Scottish ancestry. He has three sisters, Joanne, Jacki, and Jennifer.

John Harbaugh’s Wife

John Harbaugh’s wife, Ingrid, is a native of Brazil. The couple has three children together: Alison, Jack, and Gray. Alison is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where she was a member of the varsity lacrosse team. Jack is a student at Stanford University. Gray attends the University of Michigan.

John Harbaugh’s Children

John Harbaugh has three children with his wife, Ingrid. His oldest child, Allison, was born in 1992. Allison is married to NFL player Thomas Herdman, and the couple has two children together. John’s middle child, Jack, was born in 1995. Jack played football for the University of Michigan from 2015-2018. John’s youngest child, Jane, was born in 1998.