WASHINGTON — Wearing a gray Indiana sweatshirt, John Harbaugh stood in the hallway outside of the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., waiting to see his brother-in-law and Hoosiers head coach Tom Crean. The Baltimore Ravens head coach made the 45-minute drive from Baltimore to support Crean as he tries to become the next member of the family to win a championship.

“It’s just really exciting for the family and everything,” Harbaugh said. “It’s been a crazy year. It’s been a great ride, so if Tom can pull off a miracle and get to the Final Four and maybe win the thing, wouldn’t that be something?”

Crean is married to Harbaugh’s sister, Joani. The family experienced euphoria and heartbreak simultaneously when Harbaugh’s Ravens beat his brother Jim’s San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl on Feb. 3. For now, though, football takes a backseat to basketball.

Harbaugh said he likes how much of a fight the Hoosiers put up in their games, and referenced the 58-52 win over Temple on Sunday in the Round of 32 as an example. The Owls led for much of the game before Indiana pulled out the win in the final minutes.

The Hoosiers have a tough route to the Final Four, Harbaugh said, with Syracuse and either Marquette or Miami standing in their way.

“I love the team,” Harbaugh said of Indiana. “I love the way they play. The way they fight. It’s going to be a tough game. Syracuse is playing great. It’s a tough little group of four here. It’ll be interesting to see how it goes.”

Harbaugh spoke to Crean on Wednesday morning. He said his brother-in-law was up all night watching game film, a feeling to which he said he can relate.

Harbaugh said some members of the family will be in Washington to see the game, but his parents will watch their son-in-law lead his Hoosiers on television at home.

Almost two months after reaching the top of the NFL, Harbaugh is watching his brother-in-law try to become the second champion in the family.

“Tom does a great job. He’s an unbelievable leader,” Harbaugh said. “The players love playing for him. He’s got a bunch of good guys.”

Published on March 27, 2013 at 8:11 pm

Contact Chris: cjiseman@syr.edu | @chris_iseman