Baltimore Ravens' Coaching Staff Built on Past Relationships

(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

The NFL has long been filled with various coaching trees branching out from a single influential individual. 

From the well-chronicled network of coaches that worked under Bill Walsh to the legendary Vince Lombardi and Tom Landry working as assistants under New York Giants head coach Jim Lee Howell, many of the league’s great head coaches can attribute their success to another great coach—a mentor that helped them sharpen their craft. 

For the Baltimore Ravens, two individuals that never coached in the NFL provide the inspiration for a plethora of successful coaches:  the late Bo Schembechler and Jack Harbaugh. 

Schembechler, the legendary coach of the University of Michigan from 1969 through 1989, inspired current Ravens coach John Harbaugh to offer these words when he was introduced as Ravens head coach in January 2008:

“When you grow up in that environment, part of your life values, the thing you learn is that there are three important things [to] putting together a football team.  No. 1, the team; No. 2 is the team; and the third most important thing is the team. We’ll stick with that through and through, beginning to end. That’s what it’s all about.”

Harbaugh’s second, and most influential mentor, continues to be his father Jack who served as an assistant under Schembechler at Michigan for many years and served as the head coach at Western Michigan (1982-1986) and later Western Kentucky (1989-2002). 

The younger Harbaugh received his coaching start with his father at Western Michigan, overseeing the running backs and outside linebackers from 1984 through 1986. 

After leaving Western Michigan, Harbaugh had college coaching stints at Pittsburgh, Morehead State, Cincinnati, and Indiana before finally breaking into the NFL in 1998 to become the special teams coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles. 

Hired by Ray Rhodes, Harbaugh’s job appeared to be lost when Andy Reid replaced Rhodes as head coach only a year later, but Harbaugh was one of only four assistants retained in 1999. 

Harbaugh would lead the Eagles’ special teams unit until after the 2006 season when he became defensive backs coach, a request granted in order to one day fulfill his dream of becoming a head coach in the NFL. 

This dream would come to fruition only a year later when the Ravens fired longtime coach Brian Billick following the 2007 season and began their search for a new leader. 

After Cowboys assistant Jason Garrett left Baltimore without accepting the Ravens’ job offer, the team turned to Harbaugh, an underdog for the job, but a man whose passion and coaching pedigree could not be overlooked. 

In his first season in Baltimore, Harbaugh guided the Ravens to an 11-5 record, including a trip to the AFC Championship.  As he prepares for his second season as coach of the Ravens, heightened expectations to improve on last year’s success surround the 46-year-old coach  

Several members of Harbaugh’s staff share ties to the head coach, or his two coaching inspirations, creating a unique coaching tree that has come full circle. 

Offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, the head coach of the Miami Dolphins in 2007, will begin his second season in charge of the Baltimore offense.  Cameron started his career as an assistant coach under Schembechler at Michigan. 

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?