John Harbaugh: 'We Need to Win More Championships'

Ravens coach recently signed extension.
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OWINGS MILLS, Md. — John Harbaugh's legacy in Baltimore is already secure.

He's the winningest coach in franchise history and won a Super Bowl in 2012-13.

Harbaugh recently signed a contract extension to bring back more titles with the Ravens. 

"It’s a great place to be. I love the city," Harbaugh said when asked about his contract extension. "But [I feel] just very determined, very motivated, in the sense that we need to win more games, we need to win more playoff games, we need to win more championships, we need to win the whole thing. And helping our team be the best we can be, doing whatever I can do, you feel a big, big, big sense of responsibility and obligation along those lines. 

"So, gratitude, yes, but more than that, just really determined to get us all where we want to be, help us get to where we all want to be, together, and to do my part in that.”

John Harbaugh
John Harbaugh

Since winning the Super Bowl, the Ravens had just two losing seasons in 2015 and 2021. However, they have managed just two playoff wins — 2014-14 against the Pittsburgh Steelers and 2020-2021 vs. the Tennessee Titans. 

Overall under Harbaugh, the Ravens have made the postseason in nine of his 14 seasons. Harbaugh has gone 148-96 (.607), including the playoffs, over his career, which ranks fifth among active coaches.

Baltimore is also in the midst of a critical offseason.

The Ravens ended the year with 19 players on injured reserve. Quarterback Lamar Jackson was limited to 12 games because of an illness and injuries. He will be playing the season on a fifth-year option.

The Ravens ended the season on a six-game losing streak but five of those losses were by a total of eight points.

Owner Steve Bisciotti is obviously committed to Harbaugh, who has now signed six contract extensions since taking over the Ravens.

As a result, the Ravens are going to lean on Harbaugh to guide them through this unsteady time. 

He is ready for the challenge. 

"I’m pretty fired up, excited and ready to go," Harbaugh said. "I’ve been thinking about, just like our players and our coaches do, and probably our fans do, too … All you do is you think every single day, probably more than my [wife], Ingrid, would like for me to, about what we’re doing, where we’re going, what do we need to do? What’s the next step? What’s the best decision and what opportunities are we going to have? 

"That’s kind of what you think about every second, driving somewhere, or just sitting around, or when you’re working, or working out, or whatever, watching tape, that’s what we do. So, that’s what we’ve been doing. That’s what I’ve been doing, and I’m excited about it."


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Todd Karpovich
TODD KARPOVICH

Twitter: @toddkarpovich Email: todd.karpovich@gmail.com Skype: todd.karpovich Todd Karpovich has been a contributor for ESPN, Forbes, the Associated Press, Lindy's, and The Baltimore Sun, among other media outlets nationwide. He is the co-author of “If These Walls Could Talk: Stories from the Baltimore Ravens Sideline, Locker Room, and Press Box,” “Skipper Supreme: Buck Showalter and the Baltimore Orioles,” and the author of “Manchester United (Europe's Best Soccer Clubs).” Karpovich, a Baltimore native, is a graduate of Calvert Hall College high school, Randolph-Macon College in Virginia, and has a Masters of Science from Towson University.