The Baltimore Ravens are on the hunt for a new head coach after they sent shockwaves through the NFL by firing John Harbaugh on Tuesday.
Now, for the first time in nearly two decades, the Ravens are searching for a new man to lead their franchise.
Whoever the next coach is will be just the fourth head coach in franchise history.
Latest Baltimore Ravens Head Coach Candidates
One of the questions surrounding who the Ravens want to be as the head coach is which route they wish to take. Some franchises like to lean offense. Others will go on defense. Harbaugh was a unique hire in the fact that he was a special teams coordinator prior to getting hired by the Ravens.
He developed into more of a CEO as the head coach, which makes for some challenges when the coach’s staff undergoes turnover.
The Ravens have built an identity over their tenure as a rugged franchise that typically has a tough defense. They could choose to go that route again.
On the other hand, their quarterback is a two-time league MVP, and part of the reason the Ravens moved on from Harbaugh is that they wanted more from their offense. Of the names that are interesting for a potential coaching search, here are a few that stand out.
Jesse Minter
When Harbaugh was let go, Minter was one of the first names that surfaced as a potential replacement for him.
The connection makes sense. Once upon a time, Mike MacDonald was a defensive assistant in Baltimore before moving to help John’s brother, Jim Harbaugh, as the defensive coordinator at the University of Michigan.
MacDonald’s tenure in Ann Arbor lasted one season, and he returned to Baltimore to run John Harbaugh’s defense. Jim Harbaugh’s replacement was Jesse Minter, who was the defensive coordinator of two Michigan teams, including the one that won the 2023 national championship.
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Following winning that title, Minter followed Harbaugh to Los Angeles and has built a nasty defense for the last two seasons in LA. He is well thought of, and everyone in Ann Arbor raves about his intelligence levels.
If the Ravens want to look to the defensive side of the ball, there may not be a better candidate than Minter.
Kliff Kingsbury
Kliff Kingsbury turned down opportunities to interview for head coaching positions a season ago, hoping to potentially find the right fit. That caused him to remain on staff in Washington as the offensive coordinator of the Commanders.
Kingsbury has since mutually parted ways with the Commanders and is on the search for his next job. He should garner some interest as a head coach. Washington did not have the season they were hoping for, but they also started third-string quarterback Josh Johnson by the time the season ended.
Kingsbury could be someone who installs this spread passing game to make thing seasier for Lamar Jackson in that phase, while also having the ability to run the football with Derrick Henry in the backfield.
Klint Kubiak
Gary Kubiak was once the author of the most prolific offense in the history of the Baltimore Ravens. His tenure as the offensive coordinator began in 2014, and allowed Joe Flacco to enjoy arguably the best season of his career.
He parlayed that into a deal to become the head coach of the Denver Broncos, where he eventually won a Super Bowl with Peyton Manning.
Gary Kubiak retired, but perhaps the Ravens could go back to the Kubiak coaching tree by hiring his own flesh and blood. Klint Kubiak has been the hot name offensively on the market this offseason, thanks to the work he’s done with Sam Darnold and the Seattle offense.
Kubiak could be an interesting addition to the franchise, and is young enough to potentially have the longevity that Harbaugh gave them.
Kevin Stefanski
The Browns have become the Ravens before, so why can’t the former Browns’ head coach head to Baltimore? Kevin Stefanski should be in high demand this season after the two-time Coach of the Year was let go by the Browns after a tumultuous season.
Stefanski is well thought of, and his offense is similar to that of Kubiak’s, which should help Baltimore reinvigorate Lamar Jackson for the final years of his prime.