John Harbaugh Has 'Utmost Respect' for Andy Reid Ahead of AFC Championship Game
In the Divisional Round of the AFC playoffs, the Andy Reid coaching tree was alive and well when the Kansas City Chiefs squared off against Sean McDermott and the Buffalo Bills. This week, it's another Reid-centric meeting between Kansas City and its AFC Championship Game opponent.
On deck is John Harbaugh, who's quite familiar with Reid and his style.
Harbaugh, who's been head coach of the Baltimore Ravens since 2008, initially served under Ray Rhodes as an assistant back in the late '90s with the Philadelphia Eagles. Speaking to the media this week, Harbaugh said he was "hoping to be retained" by Reid when the transition to him took place. With the future Hall of Fame head coach giving him a shot, the two formed a nice bond over the years.
Looking back on his time with Reid and some of his staff, Harbaugh has nothing but respect.
"Obviously, it's a big deal in terms of the relationship," Harbaugh said. "It goes back a long, long way. [I have the] utmost respect for Andy [and the] utmost appreciation for what he's accomplished as a coach. We were together for 10 years – the first 10 years [of my career] there in Philly. We were in a lot of championship games, a lot of playoff games. I learned so much. I just learned so much as a coach and as a person. Then, competing against him now all these years has been really challenging. Andy's a great coach. He has a great staff. You can name all the guys: (tight ends coach) Tom Melvin, (special teams coordinator) Dave Toub, all the guys that have come through there that we knew from the Eagles. It's just a very talented group of people, and I have the utmost respect for them."
In the middle of his tenure with the Eagles, Harbaugh was a potential candidate to jump to the college ranks. Instead, he remained in Philadelphia and worked his way up from special teams coach to defensive backs coach. Working alongside Reid and company, he also has experience with current Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. In fact, Harbaugh said this week that he's "scratching his head" at Spagnuolo not being mentioned for recent head coaching vacancies.
During his 16-year tenure with the Ravens, Harbaugh boasts a 160-99 record in the regular season and a 12-9 postseason record. He's a Super Bowl champion and is just one win away from having another crack at bringing home a title this year. Much of what Reid taught him roughly two decades ago is still alive and well in how he handles his own team. Reid, known for being a player's coach and a loyal leader, runs a tight ship but treats those around him like actual people. While Harbaugh has a billion other things on his mind entering a key game in his head coaching career, one Reid-specific element sticks with him.
"One of the things — I tell this story a lot — one of the things with Andy [was] he had this 3x5 card behind his desk on his bulletin board," Harbaugh said. "It said, 'Don't judge.' I got the nerve to ask him about it one time, and he just basically [said] it was a Biblical principle. Take people where they're at. Assume the best. Try to communicate with everybody on equal terms. I've never forgotten that."
