Two brothers often talked about in the NFL are Jim and John Harbaugh. Both of them battled against each other (as coaches) in Super Bowl XLVII in which the elder brother (John) triumphed. This isn’t a mere coincidence. Football runs in their genes. Ever since their birth, football grounds have been their second home, all thanks to their father, Jack Harbaugh who has been the head coach of many collegiate football teams and retired in 2006.

However,  “Behind every great man is a great woman.” Jacqueline Harbaugh aka Jackie personifies these words. While Jack made strategies for the rivals and training regimens for his teams, she kept the house in order. Both met at Bowling Green State University, Ohio, for the first time in biology class. He played as a safety for the BGSU football team, and she was a cheerleader for the team. Jack fell in love at first sight but couldn’t muster the strength to ask her for a date until 2 years later. What happened after that is history.

The couple exchanged vows in 1961 and are still going strong after more than five decades. The same year, the Buffalo Bills drafted him as a running back in the AFL Draft, but his playing career couldn’t gain traction. Jack switched to coaching and trained various college teams, including Western Michigan University (1982-1986) and Western Kentucky University (1989-2002).

With game experience of more than 6 decades, he has seen the game transform into one of the biggest leagues. Despite saying goodbye to coaching career, Jack’s passion for the game couldn’t fade. And when Jim was suspended for 3 games in 2023, the father returned to help his son. He became the assistant head coach of the Michigan Wolverines and led them to the 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship.

On the other side of the coin, Jackie ensured their children had a proper support system. She accompanied them to training and encouraged them to excel. Jackie would stand in front of the screens (if they couldn’t go to stadiums) when their teams played. Their dedication paid off! Both sons are now big names in the football world.

The youngest daughter, Joani, is also a sports enthusiast and one of their biggest supporters. Jack finds her similar to Jackie and once said, “No question about it. Joani’s got her mom’s temper when it comes to that. You don’t say anything about Jackie’s kids.” The family is a perfect example of love and an unwavering bond in the big NFL town. While most of the NFL believes the brothers are different, Jack disagrees and says both are very similar.

Jim & John Harbaugh’s relationship with their parents

Both John and Jim Harbaugh are now in their early 60s. Yet when we see them, both are hyperactive, just in different ways. While John is usually calm and composed in his approach (for the Baltimore Ravens), Jim is more on the restless side and believes in instant actions (for the Los Angeles Chargers). Jack knows both of them inside out and is proud of their achievements.

The couple said that John calls them on Thursday evenings and talks for 17 minutes, the time it takes for him to reach his home from the stadium. Jim, on the other side, would call them anytime and ask them how they were doing before talking about the matter he called. Now, Jack & Jackie live next door to Jim so they often spend time together. But the father-son trio have devised a method to keep their egos in check.

Jack mentioned he doesn’t discuss football with them until they ask. And both sons mostly don’t ask him anything about football. The family in itself is a football stronghold. However, both Jim and John Harbaugh learned their competitive drive from their dad. Fans love them! Players respect them! Coaches and the NFL fraternity adore them for their contribution to football.