John Harbaugh helped his brother celebrate winning a national championship at Michigan. He could be months away from coaching against his brother again in the NFL.

During a Baltimore Ravens media opportunity, John Harbaugh was asked about his brother’s recent interviews for NFL head coaching vacancies. Michigan is hoping Jim Harbaugh will agree to a long-term contract extension to stay in Ann Arbor.

“Well, I mean, I don’t know what he’s going to do,” John Harbaugh said Thursday. “I’m not sure what Jim’s plans are. Whatever he does will be what’s best for his family. I know Michigan’s been a joy for him to go back to his alma mater. His family loves it there, the players love him, the coaches, the fanbase.

“I don’t know what direction it’s going to go. I would think the (Michigan) president and the board of trustees would be doing everything they can to try and keep him. That would be priority (number) 1 if I was them.”

The Harbaugh brothers famously faced off in Super Bowl XVLII. John’s Ravens got the better of Jim’s San Francisco 49ers. Jim Harbaugh posted a 49-22-1 in four seasons as the 49ers head coach from 2011-to-2014.

Jim Harbaugh has shown interest in a return to the NFL in recent years. He interviewed with the Minnesota Vikings in February 2022 and the Denver Broncos in the 2023 offseason. This year, he has interviewed with the Los Angeles Chargers and the Atlanta Falcons.

The NFL playoffs schedule worked out so that John Harbaugh was able to make it to Houston to support Jim Harbaugh as Michigan defeated the Washington Huskies to win the College Football Playoff National Championship.