The Baltimore Ravens immediately leapt to the front of the pack for the most appealing job openings in the NFL after parting ways with John Harbaugh following 18 years on Tuesday.
The Ravens have a two-time NFL MVP in quarterback Lamar Jackson, veteran weapons at the skill positions and a defense that continues to reload with talent thanks to one of the most well-respected front offices in football.
Baltimore owner Steve Bisciotti didn’t take firing a Super Bowl-winning coach lightly, and he likely didn’t do so without having a strong short list of candidates in mind.
Several early front-runners immediately emerged, with a pair of Los Angeles-based defensive coordinators topping the list at one sportsbook.
The Rams’ Chris Shula is expected to draw interest from several teams this offseason, and was installed as the +300 favorite. That was just ahead of the Chargers’ Jesse Minter, who followed Harbaugh’s brother, Jim, from Michigan to the Chargers.
The Washington Commanders parted ways with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury on Monday, but the noted quarterback guru might curry favor with Jackson, who is coming off one of the most frustrating seasons of his eight-year career.
Kingsbury, who has previous head coaching experience with the Arizona Cardinals, is followed by another highly respected coordinator seeking a second opportunity to run an NFL team. Brian Flores has helped Minnesota feature one of the league’s most feared defenses following a three-year stint as the Miami Dolphins’ head coach and one on Mike Tomlin’s staff in Pittsburgh.
Flores’ +700 odds are the same as those for Kevin Stefanski. Despite being fired by the Cleveland Browns on Monday, Stefanski is expected to be a hot commodity in this year’s coaching cycle that reached seven vacancies with John Harbaugh’s firing.
RAVENS NEXT COACH ODDS*
Chris Shula (+300)
Jesse Minter (+350)
Kliff Kingsbury (+500)
Brian Flores (+700)
Kevin Stefanski (+700)
Klint Kubiak (+900)
Jim Schwartz (+1000)
Robert Saleh (+1200)
Mike McCarthy (+1200)
Mike LaFleur (+1600)
Steve Spagnuolo (+1800)
Anthony Weaver (+2000)
Matt Nagy (+2000)
Vance Joseph (+2000)
Jeff Hafley (+2500)
Joe Brady (+2500)
Anthony Campanile (+2500)
Vic Fangio (+2500)
Arthur Smith (+2500)
Kevin O’Connell (+3300)
Marcus Freeman (+3300)
Josh McDaniels (+3300)
Greg Roman (+4000)
David Shaw (+4000)
Jon Gruden (+5000)
Jason Garrett (+6600)
Deion Sanders (+6600)
Marvin Lewis (+6600)
Bill Belichick (+6600)
*BetOnline.ag odds provided for entertaining purposes only.
Harbaugh’s dismissal came two days after the Ravens’ season ended on a missed field goal as time expired at Pittsburgh in the final game of the NFL regular season. The 63-year-old hits the open market with a Super Bowl victory and 180 career wins on his resume.
The Ravens reached the playoffs 12 times under Harbaugh while winning fewer than eight games only once, but they have not been back to the Super Bowl since the February 2013 game.
“Our goal has always been and will always be to win Championships,” Bisciotti said in a statement. “We strive to consistently perform at the highest level on the field and be a team and organization our fans take pride in.
“I will always be grateful for the extraordinary hard work and dedication displayed by John and his staff throughout the many successful years. …
“We fully understand the expectations of our fans and everyone in the Ravens organization. Finding another strong leader and partner who will reflect these high standards is paramount.”
–Field Level Media
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