Per Hensley and ESPN Stats and Info, former Super Bowl winning coaches have been released in the middle of a season just once before. While it does involve Baltimore and might draw some comparisons there, there’s just a lot more that goes into it.
Regardless of your feelings for Harbaugh, he’s still a Super Bowl winning coach that has led the Ravens to a 98-71 record over his career. His tenure and winning percentage alone means he’s earned a little more respect than to get a midseason shove off.
Baltimore is also still in the running for a playoff spot, even if it’s a longshot. It’s beyond rare you see a team fire a coach when they still have a shot at making the postseason. That’s usually reserved only for teams that are eliminated or so far out of contention as to need a miracle and a perfect remainder of their season.
We also have an example of how owner Steve Bisciotti handles these situations during the 2007 season. In spite of going 5-11, Bisciotti allowed the long-tenured Brian Billick to stick around throughout the season before letting him go. While it’s a small sample size and not a perfect comparison, it does show Bisciotti isn’t one to make knee-jerk reactions based on a team’s record solely.
