The Harbaugh Bowl

This year's NFL postseason features two coaching brothers leading their teams deep into the playoffs. John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Orioles, and his younger brother Jim of the San Francisco 49ers, have led their teams to their respective conference championships, which envisions the possibility of the first Super Bowl involving two brothers in the coaching ranks.

Jim Harbaugh, left, and brother John, right, before a game between the
49ers and Ravens at M&T Bank Park on November 24, 2011

The elder Harbaugh has been the coach of the Ravens since 2008, and have led the team to the playoffs in all of his four seasons. The younger Harbaugh is in his first season with the 49ers, and is credited to turning the team's fortunes around as well as sticking through embattled quarterback Alex Smith. This year, both brothers made the playoffs, earning first-round byes in the process. 

On November 24, the Harbaughs faced off for the first time when the 49ers visited the Ravens at M&T Bank Park on Thanksgiving. The Ravens won, 16-6, in a low-scoring game that demonstrated the coaches' defensive-minded approach.

Last Saturday, Jim's 49ers overcame two late-game deficits against the New Orleans Saints to win 36-32, highlighted by Alex Smith's game winning touchdown pass to Vernon Davis, in what was later dubbed in San Francisco sports lore as 'The Grab.' John's Ravens played the next day against the Houston Texans, with Baltimore winning 20-13. It was the brothers' first NFL playoff wins as coaches, though Jim won it in his first playoff game; John won in his fourth. 

While the Harbaughs have made their mark as coaches, Jim actually has a more extensive NFL experience than John, having played 14 seasons as an NFL quarterback with the Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Ravens and San Diego Chargers, earning All-Pro honors in 1995. John began his odyssey as a college football assistant for various universities before being hired by the Philadelphia Eagles to be their special teams coordinator and later defensive backs coach, roles he held from 1998-2007. Jim also served as a college football assistant with Western Kentucky University under his father Jack during his final seven NFL seasons, before briefly serving as a quarterback coach for the Oakland Raiders from 2002-03.  He then coached the University of San Diego for three seasons, then at Stanford for four seasons, before landing his first NFL head coaching gig with the 49ers. 

Their biggest test as coaches will come next week, as they face two Super Bowl-winning veterans in Bill Belichick and Tom Coughlin, respectively. The Harbaugh family will be in Foxboro and San Francisco, respectively, to cheer for the NFL's coaching brothers. If both prevail, then we may as well rename Super Bowl XLVI into the 'Harbaugh Bowl.'