It’s no surprise that John Harbaugh stands as the winningest head coach in Baltimore Ravens history — after all, the franchise is only 29 years old. Hired in 2008, Harbaugh has been the steady hand guiding the Ravens for nearly two decades, coaching 276 games and winning 172 of them. Under his leadership, the Ravens have consistently been one of the NFL’s most competitive teams.
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Baltimore has compiled a regular season record of 268–199–1 (.574), the highest winning percentage among all active franchises, and Harbaugh is responsible for 172 of those victories.
While his postseason résumé isn’t quite as dominant, with a 13–11 record and just one Super Bowl title in 17 seasons, his regular season success speaks for itself. And in Week 17 last season, with a 31–2 blowout win over the arch-rival Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium, Harbaugh hit another milestone.
According to Pro Football Reference, that win brought him to 172 career victories, surpassing both Sean Payton and Pete Carroll, who each have 170. Notably, Harbaugh reached that mark in fewer games than Carroll, needing just 276 contests compared to Carroll’s 291. While he’s coached one more game than Payton, he has two more wins.
Harbaugh also edged past legendary two-time Super Bowl-winning head coach Bill Parcells, who also had 172 wins but needed 303 games to get there.
Next season, his 18th as head coach of the Ravens, offers him a chance to climb even higher in the NFL coaching record books. Just two more victories would see him surpass Jeff Fisher’s 173 wins, and with three more, he’d leapfrog Mike McCarthy (174 wins). With a 14- or 15-win season, something Harbaugh’s teams have achieved only once, he could match or exceed Chuck Knox’s 186 career wins.
He still trails Mike Tomlin by 11 victories, but the Steelers’ coach has had the benefit of one additional season — and notably, has never posted a losing record.
John Harbaugh recently signed a three-year contract extension, keeping him in Baltimore through at least the 2027 season. With enough time and a strong roster, he has a real shot at joining the elite group of coaches with 200 or more regular-season wins, a milestone only eight head coaches have reached. He’s just 21 wins away from tying Chuck Noll’s mark of 193.
But for all Harbaugh’s regular season accomplishments, success in the playoffs, and ultimately the Super Bowl, it is what truly defines a legacy. Despite all those wins, he has only one Lombardi Trophy and just four AFC Championship Game appearances.
Still, optimism surrounds the Ravens heading into next season. They have the third-best odds to reach the Super Bowl. Could this finally be the year for Harbaugh — and for his two-time MVP quarterback, Lamar Jackson?
