The Baltimore Ravens dismissed their Super Bowl-winning head coach John Harbaugh on Tuesday.
The move came two days after Baltimore's season-ending 26-24 loss at Pittsburgh to hand the Steelers the AFC North title and a play-off berth.
Following initial reports that the sides had split, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti released a statement saying he decided to "make a change at head coach" despite "the tremendous 18 years we have spent together".
Harbaugh's reign made him the second-longest tenured head coach in the league behind only Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin.
The move means Baltimore is one of seven head coaching vacancies in the NFL, joining Arizona, Atlanta, Cleveland, Las Vegas, Tennessee and the New York Giants.
It also has the potential to shake up the coaching carousel, as a veteran head coach with 180 wins and a Super Bowl ring is now on the market.
"Well, I was hoping for a different kind of message on my last day here, someday, but that day has come today," Harbaugh wrote in a statement released by the Ravens.
"It comes with disappointment certainly, but more with GRATITUDE & APPRECIATION.
"Gratitude to the owner and organisation who was willing to bring in a head coach who made his mark with Special Teams success. A difficult thing to do... and appreciation for all the moments, all these years, that are etched into eternity."
Harbaugh, 63, became the Ravens' head coach in 2008 after a stint as special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach of the Philadelphia Eagles.
In his fifth season on the job, Baltimore beat Peyton Manning's Colts and Tom Brady's Patriots to get to Super Bowl XLVII, where the Joe Flacco-led Ravens defeated the San Francisco 49ers 34-31 in a classic.
It was a matchup between brothers, as John's brother Jim Harbaugh was the head coach of the Niners.
In 18 seasons under John Harbaugh, Baltimore finished with fewer than eight wins only once. The Ravens made the post-season 12 times, but they have not been back to the Super Bowl since the February 2013 game.
Harbaugh has come under scrutiny for failing to get Baltimore far in the play-offs while the team has two-time league MVP Lamar Jackson at quarterback and a perennially strong defence.
The Ravens added star running back Derrick Henry in 2024, and in 2025 they had the second best rushing offence in the NFL and the 11th best scoring offence, but still finished 8-9.
The Ravens lined up for a 44-yard field goal attempt to beat the Steelers on Sunday night, but Tyler Loop's kick missed wide to the right.
Harbaugh was questioned for burning the preceding play with a kneeldown rather than trying to gain better field position to take stress off his rookie kicker.
"I don't think it was a bad decision," Harbaugh said afterwards.
Harbaugh leaves Baltimore with a 180-113 record in the regular season and a 13-11 mark in the play-offs. His eight road play-off wins as a head coach is an NFL record.
