By: Sam Burleigh

   On Tuesday, January 6, the Ravens fired longtime Head Coach John Harbaugh after eighteen seasons. This came two days after the Ravens’ 24-26 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, which eliminated them from playoff contention. Harbaugh became the third head coach in franchise history when he was hired in 2008. Now, the Ravens are on the coaching carousel for the fourth time, and they’ve immediately become the most appealing team to find a new leader. But that begs the question: who should become the next head coach for Baltimore?

   One of the best candidate options is Brian Flores, who is the defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings. Flores has been with Minnesota since 2023 and immediately made an impact on the Vikings’ defense. This season marked back-to-back years where Flores’ defense was top ten in points allowed per game. His approach would appeal to the Ravens, considering the fact that their defense has declined. Also, he was a head coach, for the Miami Dolphins from 2019 to 2021. However, after his firing from Miami following the 2021 season, Flores sued the NFL and several teams for racial discrimination, which created some caution against his resume.

   Another candidate that can look appealing for Baltimore is Klint Kubiak, the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks. After leaving the New Orleans Saints to join Seattle’s coaching staff, led by Mike Macdonald, Kubiak immediately took the Seahawks offense, Sam Darnold, to the top of the league. This season, Seattle has scored the third most points per game at 28.4. He would appeal to Baltimore because they’re looking for a coach that would help quarterback Lamar Jackson reach his full potential. Kubiak has already gotten a ton of requests from other teams to be their head coach, but Baltimore seems to be in the mix.

  One more on the top candidate list is Jesse Minter, the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers. Since joining head coach Jim Harbaugh’s staff in 2024, Los Angeles has produced back-to-back top ten defenses, including allowing the least amount of points per game last season, which was 17.7. Since his hiring, the Chargers have only allowed opponents to score 30 or more points five times in 36 total games, and have allowed the third fewest amount of points since 2024. Plus, Minter has ties to the Harbaughs, so it could interest the Ravens front office to go after him.

  Games will feel weird not seeing John Harbaugh on the sidelines for the Ravens next season, but I believe it was the right move by Baltimore to pull the plug. The message with him grew too stale and the ownership believed missing the playoffs this year was the final straw. Harbaugh agreed to be the Giants’ head coach on Wednesday, January 14. With him now officially gone, the Ravens will start the search for their next head coach.