With Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett out of the mix for the head-coaching job in Baltimore, the ravens have turned their attention to Eagles secondary coach John Harbaugh.

Harbaugh is the second candidate to score a second interview with the ravens.  Garrett had a second interview earlier this week, and rejected an offer to become the successor Brian Billick.

Although Harbaugh has no experience as an offense coordinator or as a defense coordinator, he is highly respected throughout the league.  He served as special teams coordinator for nine years with the Eagles, a skill which many regard as an important ingredient to becoming a successful head coach.  (Other head coaches who have had special-teams experience include Dick Vermeil, Marty Schottenheimer, and Bill Cowher.) As one league insider previously has explained it to us, the special teams coordinator is responsible on a continuous basis for bringing together players who normally are assigned to the offense or to the defense.  The ability to get players from both sides of the ball to work together cohesively is regarded as an important skill for any head coach.

Also, our own informal straw polling of variously sources earlier this month regarding the potential candidates for head coaching vacancies resulted in one name consistently showing up at or near the top of the list:  John Harbaugh.

So while Harbaugh might be a tough sell in the short term for some Ravens fans, the proof will be in the won-loss column.  And he’s regarded as a guy who’ll eventually have far more “W”’s than “L”’s.