Head Coach John Harbaugh issued a statement Tuesday reacting to the death of Jim Fassell, who served as Ravens offensive coordinator under former Head Coach Brian Billick.
Fassel passed away Monday at age 71 and he was well-respected in the coaching fraternity. He was head coach of the New York Giants for seven seasons (1997-2003) and led the 2000 Giants to Super Bowl XXXV, where they lost to the Ravens coached by Billick.
In 2004, Billick brought Fassel to the Ravens as an offensive consultant, and he was Baltimore's offensive coordinator in 2005 and part of the 2006 season. Fassel's son, John, is currently special teams coordinator with the Dallas Cowboys.
As Stanford's offensive coordinator in 1981, Jim Fassel worked with Harbaugh's father, Jack, who was Stanford's defensive coordinator.
"Though never having worked directly with him, my dad did, and I was part of the Eagles/Giants rivalry when he was head coach," Harbaugh said. "I always respected and appreciated his approach to coaching and the way he treated his players. My prayers are with the Fassel family, particularly Jim's son, John, who followed in his father's footsteps by becoming a great coach in the NFL."
