The Baltimore Ravens' John Harbaugh is finishing his third year as head coach of the team, and I say finishing because it is not quite over yet and may not be for a few more weeks. His Ravens are in the playoffs for the third consecutive season, making him one of the most successful young coaches in the NFL. Once this season is done, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti will have to figure out how to compensate the man who has done everything he has wanted to do but capture that elusive Super Bowl trophy.
However, even if he does win the Big Game and get that big payday in the form of a new contract, he may still not be the highest paid Harbaugh coach in the NFL. John's brother, Jim Harbaugh, who is currently the head coach at Stanford University, is being courted by a bevy of NFL teams and seems to be in the position to pick his place to coach. Not only that, but the rumor is that he is being offered as much as $7 million per season to make the jump to the pros.
Whether or not he decides to stay at Stanford with the Cardinal or take an NFL coaching position, the simple fact that he could not only make more than his already-successful big brother, much less be the highest paid head coach in the league despite never coaching in the bigs is unbelievable and will be hard to pass up. Harbaugh's Stanford QB, Andrew Luck, who was sure to be the first overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, has already announced that he was staying in school to earn his college degree. Jim and his wife were expecting a child or may have just had it, so that might figure in his final decision.
Offers from the University of Michigan, his alma mater, and the Miami Dolphins have already been pushed off to the side and it seems his choices are probably going to be between staying at Stanford for at least one more year and going to one of the two Bay-area teams, the San Francsico 49ers or the Oakland Raiders. Either way, Harbaugh is benefiting from his college success and the current coaching vacancies in the NFL as his "perfect storm."