Caleb Harris
For the first time since the 2014 season, the Harbaugh brothers are training at NFL. Jim Harbaugh returned to the league as the new head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers after spending time in college football as Michigan’s coach.
He is scheduled to face his brother, John Harbaugh, when the Chargers face the Baltimore Ravens in November of next season. This isn’t the first time they’ve been on opposite sides. They met in Super Bowl XLVII, when Jim Harbaugh was coach of the San Francisco 49ers. In the first Super Bowl sibling battle between head coaches, John Harbaugh came out on top as his Ravens won 34-31.
Looking ahead to this year’s Week 12 Harbaugh matchup, John Harbaugh explained what it’s like going up against his brother. He noted that it’s complex because although he’s always rooting for Jim Harbaugh to succeed, things are different when they face each other.
“It’s so significant,” said John Harbaugh, via Ravens podcast “The Lounge”. “We both root for each other, we both support each other all the time, and yet we are competing against each other. And yes, there is a part of pride in this. alive. These are real-life moments where, you know, there’s a winner and a loser in some of these games like this, and you can never forget those things.
While many label the competition as a fight for “bragging rights,” John Harbaugh says that doesn’t sum it up.
“It’s not so much who will have the ‘bragging rights.’ That underestimates how it actually works,” said John Harbaugh.
The Ravens coach added that he expects the Chargers to make the playoffs, but if they meet in the postseason it would be like a “double-edged sword.”
“I want him to be in the playoffs. I want them to be successful, for sure. He’s my brother,” John Harbaugh said. “And if we play him, I want to win… If for some reason, whenever that happens, if they’re in the Super Bowl, I’m rooting for them to be in the Super Bowl. rooting for him just like in [Michigan’s] national championship game, everything is on the line for them to win this game.”
If they meet in a win-or-lose home game, he expects it to bring similar emotions to the 2012 Super Bowl.
“It’s hard to lose this game. It’s even harder to win this game,” John Harbaugh said. “Because you shake hands – I think there are some clips coming out about all of this – it was a difficult time. It was a difficult time. It’s not all joy when it’s your brother on the other side of the deal.”
Overall, John Harbaugh is happy that his little brother is back in the league — although he says Jim Harbaugh will turn to “the enemy” when they meet.
“… The rest of the time he’s my brother. So it’s nice to have someone I can call or talk to about rules or meetings or know I have someone to go to lunch with,” John Harbaugh said.
