Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald knows John Harbaugh well. Macdonald worked for the recently fired Baltimore Ravens coach for eight seasons, beginning as an intern in 2014, and eventually becoming the Ravens' defensive coordinator in 2022 and 2023.
It is safe to say that Seattle's coach owes a lot of what he knows about the NFL to the former Baltimore coach. But after 18 seasons as its head coach, the Ravens decided the time had come to let Harbaugh go.
This was the case even though he had led the organization to the playoffs 12 times, and as recently as 2024. The coach and the team also won the Super Bowl in 2012. Still, just as the Seahawks did with longtime coach Pete Carroll, Baltimore thought it needed a fresher start while the roster is still somewhat solid, and Lamar Jackson is still the quarterback.
Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald comments on the Ravens firing John Harbaugh
Mike Macdonald, though, was, like most fans and fellow coaches, shocked by the move. He also didn't hold back in his adoration of his former boss.
"I love John Harbaugh," Macdonald said on KJR radio. "He’s a mentor. He’s a lifetime friend... It’s a little bit of a Twilight Zone. To me, John Harbaugh is the Baltimore Ravens.
Some fans commenting on social media have said Harbaugh isn't the Ravens, but what right do they have to comment on Macdonald's views after he worked for Harbaugh and Baltimore for so long? Logically, the Seahawks coach wouldn't separate John Harbaugh from the Baltimore Ravens because that is all he knew in his time with the organization.
The question now about Harbaugh isn't whether he will find a coaching position again, but how soon? He is almost certainly a favorite to hire of many teams that have a head coaching vacancy. Besides the Ravens, the former Baltimore coach could end up with any other team.
Based on his history in the NFL, he will probably turn his new team around quite quickly. He will know how to reset a culture, make the correct hiring decisions for his staff, and be able to get all three phases of the team working together. After all, Harbaugh was hired as a head coach after being a special teams coordinator.
As for the Seattle Seahawks, Mike Macdonald has the team as the top seed in the NFC and home-field advantage throughout the postseason as long as Seattle can stay in the playoffs. One can be sure John Harbaugh is proud of him.