John Harbaugh, head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, is one of the top coaches in the NFL. He's racked up 160 wins in the regular season, the twentieth most in the history of the league. And he led the Ravens to their second Super Bowl win ever in 2013. He is currently one of eight active coaches to have won the championship.
But it's been a relatively quiet postseason for Harbaugh ever since. He had won only one postseason game in the last eight years—until now. Harbaugh and the Ravens defeated the Texans in the Divisional Round. Now, the only ones standing between them and a Super Bowl are Andy Reid, Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs, who they play in the NFL Conference Championship on Sunday, January 28.
Another Lombardi Trophy would firmly place Harbaugh in the illustrious club of coaches who have multiple Super Bowl wins under their belt: legendary coaches like Bill Belichick, Bill Walsh, and Chuck Noll. As Harbaugh sets his sights on these lofty goals, he has one force that keeps him grounded: John Harbaugh's wife, Ingrid Harbaugh. And you can bet Ingrid will be cheering him on as he fights to bring home his second Super Bowl victory. She's been his rock through every step of his coaching journey.
Read on to learn more about John Harbaugh's wife.
How Did John and Ingrid Harbaugh Meet?
Ingrid Harbaugh was born in Toledo, Ohio, on February 18, 1967. She and John met for the first time while they were both attending Michigan University in 1985—and their meet-cute is straight out of a romantic comedy movie.
John was a graduate assistant for the football program while Ingrid was working for the basketball team. During that time, John was asked to trek across campus to fix a broken copy machine. It probably felt like aggravating grunt work at the time. But in that office, as he was tending to the broken copier, he first laid eyes on Ingrid.
John said he fell in love with her the moment he saw her, and the rest is history.
After a few years of dating, John decided to take things to the next level and bought Ingrid an engagement ring while he was on a recruiting trip. When he returned home, he hid the ring inside of a stuffed elephant.
The couple officially tied the knot in 1991.
Do Ingrid Harbaugh and John Harbaugh Have Any Kids?
John and Ingrid Harbaugh have one child together, Alison, who clearly shares her parents' passion for sports. Alison attended high school at The Bryn Mawr School, where she lettered in lacrosse, basketball, and tennis. However, lacrosse was where she shined the most. She earned the IAAM All-Conference Lacrosse honors in 2020 while serving as the team captain.
After graduation, she went on to play lacrosse for the University of Notre Dame in 2020 and will begin her senior season later this year.
The Stressful Life of an NFL Wife
Being John's rock can be a lot when he is faced with the rigors of a turbulent NFL season. When asked how she would describe life during the season, she once told Bleacher Report, "The first word would be 'stressful.' It's very stressful, for like all six months of the season." Despite the stress, she's stuck by John's side through thick and thin, wins and losses.
One way she shows her steadfast support is through an adorable pregame ritual the couple shares. "We always signal each other before a game... he blows me a kiss, and I blow him a kiss," Ingrid says.
John Harbaugh's Career
John Harbaugh, was born on September 23, 1962. Before becoming the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, he was shaping up the defensive backs for the Philadelphia Eagles and spent nine years as their special teams coach. He and his brother, Jim Harbaugh, the former 49ers coach who's now running the show at the University of Michigan, are the first brothers in NFL history to both be head coaches. Their dad, Jack Harbaugh, was a college football coach too for 45 years.
John's Ravens beat Jim's 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII back in 2013, with a nail-biting score of 34-31.
Under Harbaugh's leadership since 2008, the Ravens have clinched 171 wins, including playoffs, which is the third-highest in the NFL during this period. He's even outdone Brian Billick to become the coach with the most wins in Ravens history. In his 15 years with the Ravens, Harbaugh's mostly brought home the wins, with eleven winning seasons and just two losing ones. He's been in 20 playoff games since 2008 - only one other coach has more during that time. He's the only NFL coach to win playoff games in six of his first seven seasons. Plus, he's got the record for the most road playoff wins by a head coach.
Apart from winning the Super Bowl, Harbaugh has led the Ravens to five AFC North titles, four times to the AFC Championships, and in 2019, they had their best record ever at 14-2.