The Baltimore Ravens announced their decision to part with John Harbaugh, who had been the team’s long-time coach. For the first time since 18 years, the Ravens will now be searching for a new coach. What coaches are available that would make good candidates to lead the Ravens? Below, the Baltimore Beatdown team shares their thoughts.

The Ravens top brass should fly to Los Angeles and go to the SoFi Stadium. They shouldn’t leave without their new coach. No, I am not talking about Greg Roman. He’s actually the only Rams or Chargers coordinator that I wouldn not want to work with. Jesse Minter of the Chargers, his counterpart, is a clear comparison to Mike Macdonald. This appeal should be evident.

Chris Shula, Rams defensive coordinator, has spent the past nine seasons working under Sean McVay. He made a strong debut in 2024 with a top-five defence this year. He is also the grandson to legendary coach Don Shula. The elder Shula, best known for his perfect 1972 Dolphins season, also coached for seven years the Baltimore Colts. Between his defensive credentials, McVay’s coaching tree and a last-name that the Ravens would value, he may be a dark horse.

Mike LaFleur, Rams offensive coordinator, is a bit of a mystery and could be a good candidate for Shula to become his OC. He had a bad experience in New York, despite Zach Wilson at center and an offensive roster that was weak in general. He might be ready for a larger role after spending time with both Kyle Shanahan, and McVay. He will need to be impressive in interviews so that he can show a similar style to his mentors. – Nikhil Mehta

Many of the top head coaches available this year are defensive-first coaches. This group includes Brian Flores Robert Saleh and Jesse Minter among others. Flores, and Saleh were both former head coaches that did not impress in their previous positions. Some of this could be attributed their environments, which included poor leadership and personnel decisions. With a new start in Baltimore, with better management and a more talented roster, either coach could do better this time as a head football coach.

Flores is my personal No. Minter, who is a culture-setter and a player’s trainer, would be my No. He is the youngest, has the greatest coaching potential and has a background with the Ravens as well as Harbaugh and Michigan. This makes him less of an outside hire and would not be as fresh a start. I’d love to see Ravens go with one of these options, and pair it up with a young, fresh offensive coach. Klint Kubicak is another option on the offensive coach side. The Ravens could have a winning combination if they hired Klint Kubiak, and paired him up with Jim Schwartz or another defensive coach who has experience. – Frank Platko

I have four names that come to mind when I think of the Ravens’ search for a new head coach. Jesse Minter is the most obvious choice, as he is the current defensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Chargers. Minter may irritate some fans because it feels like the same story. Minter is a direct descendant of the Harbaugh family. Mike Macdonald was also hyped up, and Minter’s talk is similar. Knowing that the Harbaugh family tree is stable would be comforting. Brian Flores is my top choice. Flores is one of the most sought-after names in this offseason, so it would be difficult to get him. Flores, who had a disastrous stint as head coach in Miami, has reestablished himself in the NFL as one of its brightest defensive minds. He’s held positions in Pittsburgh and Minnesota as defensive coordinator. Flores displays the same passion and attention for detail that Harbaugh has lost in recent years.

Other names that come to mind are Robert Saleh as a defensive coordinator who has always had a strong unit no matter what the talent level was, and Klint Kubica, a mastermind in offensive strategy who made Sam Darnold succeed with Mike Macdonald even though he had a poor offensive line. These four names top my list of Baltimore Ravens candidates. Kevin Stefanski would be my second choice for the Ravens. Kliff Kingbury was mentioned as an alternative by insiders after Harbaugh’s firing. I don’t think that is a good option. It would not be as bad as the Arizona stint, but it isn’t the best that the Ravens can do. – Zach Canter

I think the Ravens need to pursue three candidates. Brian Flores is the first. Flores, a defensive genius who is highly respected and has consistently produced top-notch defenses in spite of his lackluster talent, is the first. The Ravens must reestablish a culture. I believe that having Flores as the head coach would make the Ravens’ opponents fear them again, and restore their home-field advantage. Jesse Minter is the second. Minter is a Harbaugh family member and was previously a defensive-backs coach in Baltimore. Minter was the successor to Mike MacDonald when he was at Michigan. The Chargers’ opinion of him is similar to what Ravens fans felt about MacDonald. Klint Kubica should be the third and final candidate. There’s no doubt that hiring an offensive guru as head coach can elevate your team. Examples include Ben Johnson, Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan. Flores is my choice, considering the Ravens philosophy, which includes running the ball and playing an aggressive and physical style of defense. They also take the opponent’s will. — Stephen Bopst