He held that job for almost five seasons, until Ravens coach John Harbaugh fired him Monday.
John William Harbaugh was fired after going 1-15 with the Dolphins in 2007, his only season as an NFL head coach. But that didn’t severely damage his reputation as an offensive coordinator — he was unemployed for only a couple of weeks before the Baltimore Ravens hired him for that role.
He held that job for almost five seasons, until Ravens coach John Harbaugh fired him Monday.
Jim Caldwell, the Ravens’ quarterbacks coach and the former head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, is taking over as offensive coordinator and play-caller.
The somewhat surprising dismissal — given the Ravens’ first-place standing in the AFC North at 9-4 — came a day after a 31-28 overtime loss to Washington. The Ravens ran for 186 yards and saw three first-half touchdowns from Joe Flacco, but the club lost for the second straight game as a result of two third-quarter fumbles and a missed field goal opportunity.
Sources claim that on Sunday, Harbaugh and Cameron got into a furious argument on the sidelines that continued into the locker room following the game. The sources claimed that the topic of discussion was on Flacco’s protection in the second half and the Ravens’ handling of their last drive prior to intermission. Harbaugh refuted the existence of any such conversation.
Harbaugh, who had long defended Cameron amid tremendous criticism from fans, said the decision was wrenching on a personal level. Cameron “did a heck of a job here for a long time,” Harbaugh said. “I believe that and I also believe that right now at this time, the timing says that this is the best thing and this is what we’re going to do.”Harbaugh, who also joined the Ravens in 2008, referred to the choice as “a coaching decision, my decision” and failed to address the extent of owner Steve Bisciotti’s influence.
Furthermore, Flacco was not consulted, according to Harbaugh. In an interview with The Baltimore Sun last week, Flacco, the fifth-year quarterback, expressed his dissatisfaction with the team’s departure from the no-huddle approach that proved effective early in the season. Flacco and Cameron did not get along well. A number of players have expressed their disapproval of the offense’s lackluster evolution.
