How Ron Rivera’s relationship with Ravens’ John Harbaugh began with his brother Jim

The NFL world is small, and relationships often come full circle.

Led by first-year coach Andy Reid, the 1999 Philadelphia Eagles’ coaching staff featured seven future NFL head coaches. Two of them would later reach a Super Bowl with their respective teams.

And those two meet Sunday.

Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera and Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh coached together in Philadelphia from 1999 to 2004, when Rivera left to become the Chicago Bears’ defensive coordinator. Sunday will mark their second meeting as head coaches and another chapter in their longtime friendship.

“We were in Philadelphia together for five years and always stayed in touch. I’ve always appreciated the things John did,” Rivera said. “He was our special teams coach for a long time in Philadelphia and had a tremendous amount of success. It really didn’t surprise me that he got the opportunity that he got, to do what he did in Baltimore and win that Super Bowl.

“He’s kept that team in the forefront for a long time, so he’s somebody that I most certainly do appreciate and admire.”

The coaching duo, with two Coach of the Year awards and one Super Bowl ring between them, goes back further than their stint in Philadelphia.

Rivera won a Super Bowl as a player in his second season with the Bears in 1985, but when they lost starting quarterback Jim McMahon to injury in 1986 and were unable to defend their title, the Bears’ brass felt they needed another signal-caller.

So with their first pick of the 1987 NFL Draft they selected John’s younger brother Jim.

John visited frequently while building his own coaching career. Eleven years later, John earned his first NFL gig with the Eagles, where Rivera joined him the following year. Full circle.

“My brother and Rob played together with the Bears. So they were both young guys there,” John Harbaugh said. “When I was a young coach, I used to visit all the time and hang around with Jim and Ron. So there’s a lot of good memories, lot of laughs. Then with the Eagles, we worked together, learned a lot. Just got pretty darn close and it’s continued on.”

The Harbaughs and Riveras remained good friends — through John’s 10-year career with the Eagles and eventual head coaching tenure in Baltimore, and Rivera’s stints in Chicago, San Diego and ultimately Carolina.

Rivera’s relationships with the Harbaugh brothers let him get to know one of football’s revered families.

“In football, it’s professional respect,” he said. “I had the opportunity to play with Jim and know who he is and know what he’s all about. He’s a very competitive guy, a very smart football guy.

“John is the same way, he’s very competitive, very smart football guy, very hard worker. I got to meet their father.

“A heck of a football family. I can see where it all comes from.”