John Harbaugh
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John Harbaugh was deemed a home-run hire by his peers.
The Baltimore Ravens are experiencing the most change and turnoverthey’ve had in nearly two decades. In the 2026 season, there will bea new head coach, offensive coordinator, and defensive coordinator.
Over the last season, the defensive coordinator role previously held by Zach Orrwas much maligned. The defense surrendered 35 points or more in four of theteam’s first five games.
Head Coach John Harbaugh, though, stood by Orr throughout the season, and that contributed to Harbaugh losing his job as theRavens’ head coach. Still, after Harbaugh landed the role as the New York Giants head coach, he did not bring Orr onto his staff.
Proven Right About Zach Orr
John Harbaugh is getting a fresh start in New York with the Giants, buthe’s brought some familiar faces with him. One of those is Denard Wilson as theGiants’ new defensive coordinator. Wilson was theRavens’ defensive backs coach in 2023 under Harbaugh.
Last week, Harbaugh appeared with Glenn Clark onWBAL Radio to discuss the Ravens new head coach, Jesse Minter; Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl-winning head coach Mike Macdonald; and Zach Orr.
Harbaugh discussed his track record of being proven right in the long term about his defensive coaches, even when theyare criticized in the moment.
“People wanted to run Mike out,”Harbaugh said. “Peopledidn’t even want me to hire Mike when I first did it, people in Baltimore… You were proven wrong, andthat’s ok becausethat’s a moment in time. And I was right, and I was proven right about Jesse, too, andI’ll stand by that because I know what a good coach looks like when I see it. AndI’ll be proven right about Zach Orr, too,you’ll see.”
Harbaugh still believes in Orr, but he feels like Orr will grow further away from his coaching staff.
Time to Change
John Harbaugh will continue to defend his decision to stick with Zach Orr as his defensive coordinator in Baltimore because he believes in him as a coach. Still, he also acknowledged to Glenn Clark that both Orr and Harbaugh agreed it was time for a change.
“Sometimesit’s time to change, and Zach and I have had conversations, and we both feltit’d be best for him to get the next opportunity to growin a different way,”Harbaugh said. “So, he gets a chance to growin a different way, and I thinkit’s gonna be great for him to get a chance to do that, andit’s gonna be positive.”
Orr will not get that opportunity to grow once again under Mike Macdonald in Seattle as the inside linebackers coach. Macdonald and Orr have long had a great relationship, and now Orr will have the opportunity to assist in coaching one of the best defenses in the NFL.
Brady Henderson of ESPN wrote on Twitter about how Macdonald initially wanted to bring Orr to Seattle as his defensive coordinator when hewas hired as the head coach in 2024.
“Mike Macdonald wanted to bring Orr with him to Seattle as DC before the Ravens promoted him to that role in 2024,”Henderson wrote. “Now he gets him on staff as inside LBs coach—and a potential replacement for Aden Durde if he gets an HC job next year, like some in the organization think he will.”
For coaches both freshly departed and incoming into Baltimore, 2026 will bring change, and fans will anticipate whether the grass is greener on the other side.