Trump urges NFL teams to "hire John Harbaugh" after he was fired by Baltimore Ravens
President Trump gave his stamp of approval for John Harbaugh, the former Baltimore Ravens head coach who was fired on Tuesday after 18 seasons.
Mr. Trump called on NFL teams in need of new leadership to hire Harbaugh.
As of January 7, seven teams are looking for a new coach, including the Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, Las Vegas Raiders, Tennessee Titans, Atlanta Falcons, and Arizona Cardinals.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, within 45 minutes of Harbaugh and the Ravens parting ways, seven teams called with interest in hiring the one-time Super Bowl champion.
"HIRE JOHN HARBAUGH, FAST," Trump wrote in an all-caps post on Wednesday on Truth Social. "HE, AND HIS BROTHER, ARE TOTAL WINNERS!!!"
Jim Harbaugh, John's brother, is the head coach of the NFL's Los Angeles Chargers, who are in the playoffs.
The Harbaughs' 2025 White House visit
Last summer, the Harbaugh brothers visited Mr. Trump at the White House.
A reporter later asked John Harbaugh about the decision to visit the president in light of some of Trump's comments about Baltimore in years' past, calling the city "disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess" where "no human being would want to live."
Harbaugh responded to the question, "How you framed that question — I would have framed that question like, 'You got a chance to go visit with the president, man. What was that experience like?'"
Harbaugh continued, "It was amazing. It was awesome. And I promise you I root for our president. I want our president to be successful just like I want my quarterback to be successful and I want my team to be successful, and it was an amazing experience."
John Harbaugh then admitted that his brother Jim Harbaugh has met more presidents than him.
"He's got seven, I got four," Harbaugh said. "I had a chance to meet President Obama twice — an incredible experience. Had a chance to meet President Biden when he was vice president in Iraq, and spent a lot of time with him in Iraq. Jim got invited also to the White House to meet President Reagan because he was a Heisman Trophy candidate. We got to go as a family, so I met President Reagan — have a picture in my office of that."
Harbaugh had a stellar tenure in Baltimore
Last Sunday, in Harbaugh's final game, the Ravens lost 26-24 in Pittsburgh with the division title on the line, after kicker Tyler Loop missed the potential game-winning field goal.
The Ravens finished with a disappointing 8-9 season, while missing the playoffs for the first time since 2021.
Harbaugh was hired by the Baltimore Ravens in 2008 after he had been the defensive back and special teams coach in Philadelphia.
Harbaugh coached the Ravens to a 13-11 postseason record and one Super Bowl championship. Overall, he posted a record of 193-124.
In 2012, the Ravens defeated the San Francisco 49ers, 34-31, in Super Bowl XLVII.
"Our goal has always been and will always be to win Championships," Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said. "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. I wish he, Ingrid and Alison all the best going forward."