NFL Coaches That Are Brothers

September 2024 ยท 7 minute read

NFL Coaches that are brothers include the Harbaugh brothers, the Ryan brothers, and the LaFleur brothers. The Harbaugh brothers faced off in Super Bowl in 2013.

The brothers have a long history of success in the National Football League, both as players and coaches. There have been many Brothers NFL coaches that have represented in the National Football League, but only two sets of brothers, the Ryan brothers, and the Harbaugh brothers, have held the post of head coach.

The Harbaugh brothers are the only brothers to have competed as head coaches in the Super Bowl against one another. The Super Bowl brother coaches faced each other, where John emerged victorious.

However, there are a few other coaches who are brothers but not head coaches.

They frequently get along well and have a good knowledge of one another, which allows them to liaise and collaborate more successfully to achieve their goals.

The list of NFL brothers coaches is as follows:

Jim Harbaugh And John Harbaugh

Jim and John Harbaugh are the most well-known brother coaching duo in NFL history. Jim was the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2014. In 2008, John was appointed as the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens and is still looking after the team. The two brothers faced a battle in Super Bowl XLVII in 2013, with John's Ravens winning 34-31.

Most people often get confused if Jim Harbaugh and John Harbaugh are related. Yes, Jim Harbaugh and John Harbaugh are related, they are brothers and have around two years of age gap.

The Harbaugh brothers are renowned for having fiery personalities and a spirit of ruthlessness. They are both extremely top coaches. In his 15 seasons as head coach, John has led the Ravens to the playoffs nine times, while Jim has led the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game three times in a row.

John Harbaugh has won numerous collective as well as individual awards as a coach. He has won the Super Bowl championships and AFC North division championships for the Ravens four times.

2019 was the best year for him in terms of individual awards collection as he won the AP NFL Coach of the Year, PFWA Coach of the Year, and NFL Maxwell Club Coach of the Year. He has won the road playoff eight times which is the most road playoff wins.

Similarly, Jim Harbaugh has received numerous coaching honors. He was named NFL Coach of the Year in 2011. In 2021, he won AP college football coach of the year. In 2022, he was awarded Big 10 Coach of the Year. Having won the Woody Hayes Trophy in 2010.

Jim has served as both a head coach and a coach for a number of teams. Between 1994 and 2001, he worked as an unpaid assistant coach for Western Kentucky University under his father, Jack Harbaugh, who was the head coach at the time.

In 2002, he became a QB coach for the Oakland Raiders before becoming a head coach for San Diego, Stanford, the San Francisco 49ers, and Michigan.

John Harbaugh also worked for many teams mostly as a backroom staff. He started his coaching career back in 1984 working as a Running backs and outside linebackers coach. He was Morehead State's Special teams coach as well as secondary coach in 1988.

In 1987, he was the tight ends coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, prior to becoming the Baltimore Ravens' head coach in 2008, he worked as a special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Rob Ryan And Rex Ryan

Another set of brothers with great NFL careers is Rex and Rob Ryan. From 2009 to 2014, Rex led the New York Jets, then in 2015, he joined the Buffalo Bills but just until 2016. Before being head coach Rex was Assistant head coach as well as defensive coordinator of Baltimore Ravens in 2008.

Rob was the defensive coordinator for the New England Patriots, as well as the inside linebackers coach for the Washington Redskins and the Baltimore Ravens. Since 2022, he has served as the Las Vegas Raiders' senior defensive assistant.

Rob and Rex are renowned for their unconventional coaching philosophies and outspoken personalities. Both of them are renowned for their defensive-minded game. Rob's defenses were renowned for being aggressive and unpredictable, and Rex's Jets teams were consistently among the greatest defensive teams in the NFL.

Rex Ryan won the Super Bowl champion (XXXV) and in 2016, he was awarded PFWA NFL Assistant Coach of the Year. Rob has twice won the Super Bowl as a coach with the New England Patriots.

He has coached for a variety of teams since beginning his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Western Kentucky in 1987. The next year, he was hired as Ohio State's outside linebackers coach.

Between 1989 through 1993, he was Tennessee State's running back, linebacker, and defensive line coach. He has also coached for the Arizona Cardinals, Hutchinson Community College, Oklahoma State, the New England Patriots, the Oakland Raiders, the Cleveland Browns, the Dallas Cowboys, the New Orleans Saints, the Buffalo Bills, the Washington Redskins, the Baltimore Ravens, and the Las Vegas Raiders.

He is, nevertheless, still working hard to become a head coach.

Rex Ryan also started his coaching career with his twin brother Rob working as a Graduate Assistant but for Eastern Kentucky in 1987. In 1989 he was the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator for New Mexico Highlands. Between 1990 and 1993, he was Morehead State's defensive coordinator.

Before taking over as head coach of the New York Jets in 2009, he first served as defensive line and linebacker coach for the Arizona Cardinals. He also served as defensive line coach for the Cincinnati Bengals, Oklahoma Sooners, and Baltimore Ravens. In 2015, he was appointed the Buffalo Bills' head coach.

Among these twin brothers, it is clearly seen that Rex Ryan achieved more as a coach much quicker than his brother Rob. However, there is no doubt that both of them are equally effective in their different coaching roles.

Matt LaFleur And Mike LaFleur

Matt LaFleur is the Green Bay Packers' head coach, while his younger brother Mike LaFleur is the Los Angeles Rams' offensive coordinator.

Both of these Brothers' offensive abilities are well-known in the NFL, as the Packers' offense has finished in the top 10 in scoring in each of Matt's past 4 seasons as head coach. Mike's 49ers offense led all NFL offenses in points in 2022. This demonstrates how powerful they both are offensively.

These brothers coaching in NFL are widely considered some of the best offensive coaches in the NFL as a result of their success.

In addition to their accomplishments as American football coaches, the LaFleur brothers are well-known for their strong bonding and friendship. They used to play football together when they were little.

Matt began his coaching career in 2003 as an offensive assistant at Saginaw Valley State. He then went on to coach a variety of teams in various capacities. He was the offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans in 2018, and the following year, he was named head coach of the Green Bay Packers.

Mike has coached for a variety of teams since beginning his coaching career as an offensive assistant with Elmhurst in 2009. He also served as St. Joseph's quarterback coach, the San Francisco 49ers' passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach, and the New York Jets' and Los Angeles Rams' offensive coordinator.

43-year-old Matt LaFleur began his coaching career as a graduate offensive assistant at Saginaw Valley State in 2003. He worked as a graduate assistant at Central Michigan in 2004. In 2006, he was appointed as Northern Michigan's quarterback and wide receiver coach.

He joined Ashland as an offensive coordinator in 2007, and the following year was named an offensive assistant for the Houston Texans. He was a quarterback coach and offensive coordinator for a variety of clubs, including the Washington Redskins, Notre Dame, Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles Rams, Tennessee Titans, and eventually the Green Bay Packers as head coach.

ncG1vNJzZmiroKS%2Ftb%2FLrqOuZpOkunCu0airoZ2iYrCwrcKhnKxlnpu5