Joani Harbaugh (née Joani Harbaugh Crean) is the youngest sibling of the famous football coaching family, and is married to college basketball coach Tom Crean. Most of Joani’s sibling have worked in the public eye as coaches, so Joani has had a more private life. Though private, she has ties to the basketball and football worlds.
Most public records say Joani was born in 1968. Her parents are Jack Harbaugh and Jackie Harbaugh. Jack has worked in football for over 40 years. Joani was raised by Jack and Jackie for most of her life. Jackie also worked to support the family while Jack coached.
Early Life and Family Background
As a result of her father’s coaching career, Joani moved frequently. This led to a private school education in several states. While football was a large part of Joani’s life due to her father’s profession, she has ties to college basketball as a result of her marriage.
Joani has an older brother John, who also coaches football. Joani’s other older brother is Jim, who also coaches football. With Jim and John, Joani has three nephews who also coach football: Brian, David, and Charlie.
Joani Harbaugh spent many of her childhood hours around her father’s work. In a 2013 interview, she remembered going to games with her father, John Harbaugh, and helping him with film sessions and scouting. It was reported that when she was a child, she learned how to edit film by editing coaching film.
Jack Harbaugh’s coaching career meant the Harbaughs moved a lot. The Houston Chronicle reported that while Jack coached, the family moved a lot. The siblings remained close.
Joani Harbaugh and Her Famous Brothers
Close relationships with her brothers gave Joani Harbaugh another part of her public persona.
Older brother John Harbaugh had a long career in coaching, and is the current head coach of the Baltimore Ravens. Younger brother Jim Harbaugh also found fame in football. He played quarterback, and coached both college and professional football.
John and Jim Harbaugh coaching against each other in the playoffs was one of the greatest events in NFL history. John, coaching the Baltimore Ravens, and Jim, coaching the San Francisco 49ers, faced off against each other for the NFC and AFC championship games. The Ravens defeated the 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII.
It was a different situation for Joani because it wasn’t just a sporting event. It was the ultimate national stage to watch two of her siblings face off against each other.
Being that it was the first time a situation like this happened in the NFL, many reporters were very interested in talking to Joani and her parents about the game and situation. The reports described how the family interacted and got along together and the issues in selecting which son to support.
Joani Harbaugh and Tom Crean
Joani Harbaugh’s husband, Tom Crean, is a prominent basketball coach. He has worked at various universities including Marquette, Indiana and Georgia.
Crean was an assistant coach at Western Kentucky. At that time, Joani’s father Jack Harbaugh was the head coach of the football team at Western Kentucky. It is said that at a gym where Joani worked, she met Crean.
Crean’s basketball career and the Harbaugh family’s football career merged when they started dating.
Reports by the Los Angeles Times have identified Joani as Tom Crean’s wife and have described her supporting the family during the times when John and Jim Crean, Tom’s sons, prepared to face each other in the Super Bowl.
Joani Harbaugh’s Children
Joani and Tom Crean have Megan, Riley and Ainsley. The family has a passion for both basketball and football because of their extended family and family friends’ career in coaching.
In the lead-up to Super Bowl 2013, Megan captured the media’s attention. She was a teenage member of the Harbaugh family, which at the time included members on the other side of one of the most high-profile coaching matchups in the history of the game.
Football runs deep in the Harbaugh Family. Jack coached, John and Jim coached and taught Football, while Tom played Basketball.
Did Joani Harbaugh Become a Coach?
Joani, on the other hand, did not follow in the coaching footsteps of the rest of her family.
Joani is well known for her family, and not for her coaching career. There are notes that state that Joani has worked as an educator, but there are no other substantial notes about her career.
As Joani has usually stayed out of the public eye, notes about her career should also be considered privately. It is also true that older notes should not be considered to state what Joani is currently doing for a living.
Joani Harbaugh’s Connection to the Harbaugh Coaching Legacy
Because of the success of John and Jim, the Harbaugh family is widely recognized. Their father Jack, a former college football coach, began the family’s tradition. John, Jim, and Jack all coached at the major college and professional levels. The NFL has documented the Harbaugh family.
Because of the connection to John and Jim, the Harbaugh family has gained a large amount of recognition. The NFL has documented Joani and her relationship to Tom Crean.
The family has said that the 2013 Super Bowl was one of the biggest events in their family. The game pitted the two Harbaugh brothers against each other and showed the game support the parents and sister gave to both brothers.
The situation with Joani has given the media a chance to see the family support system and coaches around the country with whom the family interacted.
Joani Harbaugh’s Personal Life
The family support system and coaches surround Joani Harbaugh her entire life. Joani Harbaugh has not been in the public spotlight like her brothers John and Jim.
Because John and Jim have publically expressed their love and admiration for their family, Joani has become more recognized to the Public.
Why is Joani Harbaugh Famous?
Joani Harbaugh is most recognized for her position in the Harbaugh sports family.
She is:
- The daughter of Jack Harbaugh
- The sister of John Harbaugh
- The sister of Jim Harbaugh
- The ex-wife of Tom Crean
- The mother of 3 children
- A relative who has witnessed the brotherly coaching rivalry.
The marriage of Joani to Tom Crean combines the world of college basketball and the Harbaughs football family.
FAQs About Joani Harbaugh
Q1. Who is Joani Harbaugh?
Joani Harbaugh is the daughter of Jackie and Jack Harbaugh, the younger sister of football coaches Jim and John Harbaugh, and the wife of college basketball coach Tom Crean.
Q2. When was Joani Harbaugh born?
According to several public sources, Joani Harbaugh was born in 1968. No public records have verified this birthday, but public records have verified she is older than her brothers.
Q3. Who is Joani Harbaugh’s husband?
Joani is married to Tom Crean, a college basketball coach who has worked at Georgia, Indiana and Marquette.
Q4. How many children does Joani Harbaugh have?
Joani and Tom Crean have three children: Ainsley, Megan and Riley.
Q5. Who are Joani Harbaugh’s brothers?
She has two brothers, Jim and John Harbaugh.
Q6. How is Joani Harbaugh related to the NFL?
Joani’s brothers, John and Jim, are football coaches. John coaches in the NFL, and Jim coaches in the College Football Playoff. The two coaches have famously faced off against each other in Super Bowl XLVII.
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Final Thoughts
As the sister of John and Jim and the wife of Tom Crean, Joani has tied herself in sports history. Compared to her brothers and her brother-in-law John, Joani is more private. However, compared to Tom and other NFL and College Football coaches, Joani’s connections to the sports world are vast.
From her youth spending time with her father on coaching trips, to spending time with John and Jim as they developed and prepared for their NFL careers, and to Tom’s coaching and marriage to her, Joani has had an up close look at the world of football.
