Find MASN on your cable or satellite provider.

Harbaugh has never been in charge of an offense or a defense in the National Football League and made a name for himself as a special teams coach.

Harbaugh, considered the dark-horse candidate when the Ravens' search began, impressed team officials with his intense coaching style and magnetic personality.

The hiring of Harbaugh ends the Ravens' 18-day search for a coach. He will become the third coach in Ravens history, replacing Brian Billick, who was fired Dec. 31 after nine seasons with the team.

An NFL source said Harbaugh will sign a four-year deal worth $2 million to $2.5 million a season, which is typical for a first-year coach.

"We have the head coach, and we're very excited about it," team spokesman Kevin Byrne said.

Owner Steve Bisciotti offered Harbaugh the job at 5:35 p.m. in the team's boardroom in front of the search committee.

After Harbaugh accepted, Bisciotti called former majority owner Art Modell so that he could be one of the first to know.

Harbaugh is the NFL's ninth-youngest head coach and is eight years younger than Billick, which center Mike Flynn said shouldn't be a problem.

"It's not going to matter," Flynn said. "He's ready for the job. I'm sure he's going to do his homework and will establish his philosophy. ... I think he'll have instant credibility and respect. It's something he would have to lose."

Harbaugh, who was not made available to reporters, left in a limousine for Philadelphia and will return tomorrow for the news conference.

The Ravens will fly Harbaugh's parents to Baltimore for the official announcement.

His father, Jack, is a 41-year coaching veteran. He was head coach at Western Kentucky University when the team won the 2002 Division I-AA national championship.

Harbaugh's brother, Jim, was the Ravens' quarterback in 1998. He is now head coach at Stanford University.

The Ravens first targeted Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett and aggressively tried to hire him during a seven-hour visit Tuesday. Garrett turned down the Ravens' offer Thursday and decided to remain with Dallas.

Harbaugh, who was considered the fallback option if Garrett wasn't hired, became the second candidate to be interviewed for a second time, arriving at Ravens headquarters today about 9 a.m.

Harbaugh doesn't have credentials typical of some other head coaching candidates but has been considered by several NFL teams. A high-ranking Ravens official said last year that Harbaugh would be an excellent head coach.

Harbaugh was a finalist for the UCLA job last month and for the Miami Dolphins' opening last year.

Fans might know him only as the brother of Jim Harbaugh, but John Harbaugh has built a reputation around the league as an energetic teacher who gets the most out of his players.

Harbaugh shifted to secondary coach this season to give himself a better chance to become a head coach. He had spent the previous nine seasons coaching the Eagles' special teams.

"John wants to be a head coach someday, and maybe a defensive coordinator," Philadelphia head coach Andy Reid said of that shift. "This gives him a different responsibility. It gives him a professional opportunity to step out of that special-teams mode, and it strengthens our staff."

Teams generally don't hire special teams coaches as a head coach.

But several successful head coaches -- Marv Levy, Dick Vermeil, Mike Ditka, Bill Cowher and Bill Belichick -- began their careers coordinating special teams.

Read More: Ravens hire Harbaugh as coach [Baltimore Sun]