WATCH: Ravens Coach John Harbaugh Surprises Brother Jim at National Championship Game
They'll be talking about this Harbaugh family reunion for a while.
Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh exchanged purple for blue on Monday night in Houston in support of his brother Jim, the lead headset wearer at the University of Michigan. Jim's Wolverines secured the program's first national championship in 26 years with a 34-13 win over the Washington Huskies at the 2024 College Football Playoff finale.
With the maize and blue handling business on the field, one of the game's viral moments was displayed during the first half on ESPN's coverage: with Jim engaged in game prep moments before kickoff, he was surprised by John, who was walking along the Michigan sidelines. The brothers exchanged a laugh and a warm hug before Jim got down to business, capping off a perfect 15-0 season for the historic Wolverine program.
Much like Michigan on the CFP bracket, John's Ravens (13-4) have the top seed in the upcoming AFC playoffs. The first-round bye that comes with top seed honors allowed him to make it to NRG Stadium to support his brother.
The ESPN broadcast mentioned that inclement weather in Houston delayed John's flight but he was able to make it to the championship site just in time to cheer on Jim alongside their parents Jack and Jackie.
Monday's meeting was certainly more amicable than the last time the siblings got together for a championship game: John earned his Super Bowl ring with a 34-31 victory over Jim, then-leading the San Francisco 49ers, in the game's 47th edition in 2013.
After the game, Jim joked that he could now sit at the family's "big persons table" alongside his father and brother thanks to his newfound championship hardware. Jack previously served as a defensive backs coach at Michigan and guided Western Kentucky to a Football Championship Subdivision (then known as Division I-AA) title in 2002.
"They won't keep me over there at the little table anymore," Harbaugh said in video from ESPN. "My dad, Jack Harbaugh, won a national championship and my brother won a Super Bowl. It's good to be at the big persons table from now on."
According to Cassie Cherigo of the Ravens' official site, John was joined by a supportive Baltimore contingent on Monday night, flanked by general manager Eric DeCosta, executive vice president Ozzie Newsome, and defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, who previously held the same role under Jim in Ann Arbor during the 2021 season.
