Ravens gamble on special-teams wiz John Harbaugh

By Chris Cluff  |   Saturday, January 19, 2008  |  Comments( 0 )

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A day after Jason Garrett turned them down, the Baltimore Ravens hired John Harbaugh to be their new coach, giving the 45-year-old brother of Jim Harbaugh a four-year contract to step into the position Brian Billick held for nine years before he was fired Dec. 31.

Commentary: Harbaugh spent 10 years with the Philadelphia Eagles -- nine as special-teams coach before becoming the secondary coach last year. This hire is a gamble from the standpoint that Harbaugh has never been a coordinator on either side of the ball, so the question is: Can he manage an entire team? Other coaches who were hired despite never coordinating include Herm Edwards and Rod Marinelli, so there is precedent for this kind of hire, and Edwards has been a decent NFL coach (the verdict is still out on Marinelli). Harbaugh does come from a successful franchise, so he certainly has seen how to run a team.

Fantasy Football Impact: Until Harbaugh assembles a staff and makes some personnel decisions, the Baltimore quarterback position is completely up in the air.

Find all of your coaching news at RealFootball365.com.
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About Chris Cluff

Chris Cluff spent 10 years as an editor and sportswriter for The Seattle Times. He was a key figure in the newspaper's coverage of the Seahawks, particularly during their Super Bowl run in 2005. He also has written two books on the Seahawks: "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Heart-Pounding,...
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