John Harbaugh is currently the most sought-after coach on the NFL market. Several teams — including the Atlanta Falcons — are pursuing the former Baltimore Ravens head coach to fill their own vacancy.
Atlanta moved on from head coach Raheem Morris after two seasons, during which he went 16-18 and failed to reach the playoffs. The decision extended the Falcons’ playoff drought to eight seasons. Owner Arthur Blank also dismissed general manager Terry Fontenot after five seasons.
Blank followed those moves by hiring former franchise quarterback Matt Ryan as the team’s new president of football. Ryan will play a central role in the search for Atlanta’s next head coach, alongside other members of the organization’s search committee.
“Our search committee will be structured a little bit differently than it has been in the past,” Blank said. “It will still be made up of people who represent leadership across all areas of our business, but we’re going to put heavy emphasis on hiring this president of football first.
“That’s the goal. Over the next couple of days, we have a series of interviews set up. We want to get that person in their seat and have them lead the interviews for the head coach and general manager positions going forward.”
The Falcons have already conducted several interviews with head coaching candidates in recent days, including Klint Kubiak, Aden Durde, Kevin Stefanski, and now Harbaugh, according to the team’s social media accounts.
John Harbaugh Officially Interviews With Falcons
On January 10, Fox Sports insider Jay Glazer reported that Harbaugh planned to use Wild Card weekend to decide which teams he would formally interview with.
“Just spoke with John Harbaugh, who told me that while a ton of teams have reached out to him about their openings, he’s going to take the weekend and narrow down to maybe three or four teams to go interview with rather than all across the board,” Glazer wrote on X.
The Falcons ultimately made the cut. However, the interview didn’t take place in person, according to The Athletic’s Ian O’Connor.
“John Harbaugh talked to Matt Ryan of the Falcons, but not in person. My understanding is no in-person interviews on the docket as of yet,” O’Connor said.
The Falcons are also not expected to be the only team still under consideration, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
John Harbaugh Is Deciding Where He Wants to Interview Next
Shortly after Atlanta announced its interview with Harbaugh, Schefter reported that the former Ravens coach continues to weigh his options.
“While the Falcons announced an official interview with former Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, he already has been conducting preliminary and extensive phone calls with the Giants, Titans, Browns, Raiders and Cardinals, per sources,” Schefter reported. “He is trying to determine who to meet with later this week and into next week before making a decision. He is fully expected to coach in 2026, per sources.”
Just before the Falcons made their interview official, SNY’s Connor Hughes reported that Harbaugh had narrowed his options to the New York Giants and Falcons, with the expectation that the runner-up could pivot to former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski.
That report, however, was later challenged by Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot.
“It’s my understanding that ex-Ravens coach John Harbaugh hasn’t narrowed his choices to the Giants and Falcons,” Cabot wrote. “Not sure if he’ll interview with the Browns, who were one of the original seven teams to call within the first 45 minutes after he was fired.”
At this stage, Harbaugh remains one of the most in-demand coaches on the market, with multiple options still in play. While Atlanta faces stiff competition, securing an official interview is a meaningful step — and one that keeps the Falcons firmly in the conversation as the process moves forward.
Falcons Relay John Harbaugh Update as HC Weighs Options With 5 Other Teams