Ravens coach John Harbaugh and 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh held a joint news conference Friday morning at the New Orleans Convention Center, ending the session by posing for pictures with their family and the Lombardi Trophy, though neither coach touched the trophy.
Even though one brother is going to lose at the expense of the other, John Harbaugh said the result will generate the same emotion.
“It’s not really about how we’re going to feel,” John Harbaugh said. “Every coach, every player, everybody in the organization, when you win, it’s jubilation. And when you lose, it’s just bitter disappointment. So much goes into it, and it will be no different in this game, probably even on a greater scale because of the opportunity to win the championship.”
When it comes to competitive spirit, they agreed the spirit comes from their mother, Jackie Harbaugh.
“There is no one in the family who has more competitive fire than my mother,” Jim Harbaugh said. “She competes like a maniac. She has just always believed in us, and I think that is the most important thing to me. She believed in me, John, and Joanie, and took us to games and played catch with us, shot baskets with us, and just believed in us.”
Before Friday’s news conference began, John Harbaugh took a moment to recognize his parents, his 97-year old grandfather, Joe Sepidi, and other family members who all were in the crowd.
So much talk has focused on the brothers coaching against each other, but they addressed another family angle Friday. Jim Harbaugh’s son, Jay, is an assistant strength coach with the Ravens.
“I’m really proud that Jay is doing what he loves to do,” Jim Harbaugh said. “That’s a real blessing and he’s doing it with the Baltimore Ravens, a tremendous organization with great coaches around to mentor him and teach him, especially John being there and hiring him.”