Is John Harbaugh a good fit as Raiders coach?

With John Harbaugh waiting until next week to start interviewing for NFL coaching vacancies, the Las Vegas Raiders have time to decide how fervently to pursue the former Baltimore Ravens boss.

Or whether they are even interested.

At the least, the Raiders are almost obligated to make a call to Harbaugh to gauge his interest in their opening and to determine if there is a potential match.

There isn’t a more proven coach on the market than Harbaugh, whose Ravens had just three losing seasons in his 18 years in charge. They reached the playoffs 12 times and won one Super Bowl.

But is Harbaugh, 63, an ideal fit for the Raiders, who are in the beginning stages of a rebuild?

Let’s take a look at the pros and cons:

PROS

Proven commodity

For the vast majority of the candidates the Raiders interview, some level of leap of faith is required.

It’s the gamble that a highly regarded candidate such as Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak will be just as effective as a head coach.

Or the confidence that a coach who failed in a previous stint as a head coach, such as Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, learned from the experience.

Harbaugh’s successful run in Baltimore — in which multiple resets were needed — makes him the epitome of a sure thing.

Adaptable

Harbaugh won a lot of games with two different quarterbacks in Joe Flacco and Lamar Jackson. It meant being open-minded to doing a complete revamp in how the Ravens’ offense was structured. The ability to adapt to personnel, rather than trying to ramrod players into a scheme, is an incredibly important trait.

Collaborator

The Raiders have made their decision-making hierarchy clear. General manager John Spytek will lead football operations in collaboration with minority owner Tom Brady. That means Spytek, with the help of Brady, will have final say on the draft and free agency.

That setup might not work with a heavy-handed coach such as Bill Belichick or Jon Gruden, but Harbaugh has flourished in that type of operation in Baltimore. He had input in personnel decisions, but general manager Eric DeCosta made the final call.

CONS

By no means is Harbaugh an old man. But given the Raiders’ rebuild timeline and the expected draft investment they will make in a young quarterback, age must be a consideration.

The Raiders are better off viewing this search through a wide lens to align their coach, quarterback and situation in a way that maximizes and lengthens their window of success.

The runway they build is pointless if they have to find a replacement for Harbaugh just when they are getting ready to take off.

Do the Raiders want a CEO?

Harbaugh arrived in Baltimore as neither an offense nor defensive whiz.

He started as a special teams coach.

With the Ravens, he was a big-picture executive type who delegated to his coordinators.

The Raiders might be better suited to hire a young, offensive-minded coach whom they believe will groom and maximize the young quarterback. Think Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan or Liam Coen.

Brothers Harbaugh

From a fan and media standpoint, it would be great if John Harbaugh squared off twice a season against his brother Jim, the Los Angeles Chargers’ coach.

But can you imagine being the two brothers, let alone their parents and families?

And from the Raiders’ perspective, is that something you want to deal with twice a season as you try to navigate the AFC West?

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.