The paths the Harbaugh brothers took to get to where they are now couldn't be more different.
Jim Harbaugh
Since Jim was a former player, his road to Super Bowl XLVII was a bit smoother than that of his elder sibling.
He assisted his father, Jack, at Western Kentucky University for eight years while he was still playing in the NFL. He was a scout and offensive consultant for the Hilltoppers and helped recruit across the country.
After he retired from playing, Harbaugh became the quarterbacks coach for the Oakland Raiders in 2002 and 2003, where he helped Rich Gannon win the 2002 NFL MVP Award.
He then took on the head coaching gig at the University of San Diego in 2004, turning the Toreros into a team that won 11 games in each of his final two years. He developed Josh Johnson into an All-American quarterback, and his legend as a quarterback guru was born. Johnson threw for over 3,000 yards and more than 30 touchdowns and each of Harbaugh's last two seasons with the team.
Harbaugh moved up the ladder in 2007 to become the head coach of Stanford University, where he rebuilt a dead program, winning more games each year and finding and developing Andrew Luck—one of the best pro prospects to come into the NFL in decades. The Cardinal won four games his first season and finished seventh in the Pac-12. In 2010, they went 12-1, won the Orange Bowl, and finished fourth in the country.
Finally, Harbaugh took over for Jim Tomsula, interim for Mike Singletary, to become the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers in 2011. He's taken them to two consecutive NFC Championship Games and now Super Bowl XLVII. Additionally, he turned Alex Smith's career around and developed Colin Kaepernick into one of the NFL's most dangerous quarterbacks.
John Harbaugh
The elder Harbaugh's career is entrenched in special teams.
After his college playing days, John took a job with Western Michigan University (1984-87) as the team's running backs coach and outside linebackers coach.
He stayed on for four seasons before moving on to the University of Pittsburgh, where he was the tight ends coach for one season.
Then, in 1988, Harbaugh started on the path that would ultimately lead him to become the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens. He became the special teams coach for Morehead State, where he also coached the team's defensive backs.
In 1989, Harbaugh took a position as the special teams coordinator for the University of Cincinnati, and he stayed on with the Bearcats for eight years in this capacity.
The 1997 season saw Harbaugh move on to become the special teams coach for Indiana University before he got his big break in 1998 as the special teams coach for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Harbaugh coached under Andy Reid until 2008, serving as defensive backs coach his last season in Philadelphia, and finally made his way to the top of the coaching mountain to become the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens.
During his tenure in Baltimore, the Ravens have gone 54-26 in the regular season, won three division titles, and have won at least one playoff game every year.
