FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- When the Baltimore Ravens were seeking a coach in January 2008, longtime executive vice president Kevin Byrne was part of the search committee, and remembers owner Steve Bisciotti entering the room with some news. Bisciotti told the committee he had received a phone call from New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who relayed words of support for John Harbaugh.
It wasn't necessarily an endorsement that pushed Harbaugh's candidacy over the goal line, but it further solidified the direction the search committee was heading. Harbaugh was an unconventional choice at the time, because his primary background came as a special teams coach.