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Well, they got what they hoped for, Ravens fan Grace Marecki said. Coach John Harbaugh was fired.

And, to be honest, “It sucks a little bit.”

“Really a shock,” Marecki wrote to The Banner. “18 years in the league, he was the coach I grew up with (being 28). It’s absolutely going to be weird at first, but we need fresh blood for our team.”

Marecki was one of over a dozen people The Banner talked to ahead of the Ravens’ Week 16 game against the New England Patriots to get a sense of how fans were feeling. She was also one of five contacted the next day to see how the game’s results affected their opinions.

The loss, which occurred in the final quarter of the game, reinforced most fans’ opinions. One fan, Ryan Dear, was on the fence about whether it was time to move on from Harbaugh, but the loss pushed him in that direction.

Two weeks later, owner Steve Bisciotti made the decision they were all waiting for. After 18 years, he fired Harbaugh.

Despite calling for the decision, Marecki wasn’t the only fan who had mixed feelings when she heard the news.

“I think it was the right move, but it’s still bittersweet,” Dear said. “He is a great coach and had a lot of success, but it seemed like some change was needed.”

“He’s been the coach of my favorite football team through some of the most important years of my life,” said Deante Brown, who also described the moment as bittersweet. “The memories are endless, but so has been the heartbreak.”

Jill Ceroll said she was happy to see the organization is willing to change to stay competitive — “but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t anxious about who we bring in.”

Similarly, Eric Quinn said his reactions were relief, excitement and unease.

He saw the national reports that Harbaugh was sticking around. After watching the team’s final performance and the players’ comments postgame, Quinn said, he was glad those reports weren’t true.

“I do not hate the man (Harbs), but I cannot pretend I wasn’t happy to see the team finally go in a different direction,” Quinn wrote to The Banner. “Clearly he wasn’t getting the most out of this team and I think that was apparent not only in their play on the field, but with their reactions to the news off of it and how they spoke about him directly after the steelers’ loss. I felt like none of the players, especially leaders in the locker room, went to bat for him.”

Dear said he thought the team would be moving on from the coordinators, not the head coach. But the move felt like an indication there was truth to the rumors of discord between Harbaugh and quarterback Lamar Jackson (which both Jackson and Harbaugh denied before the season finale).

Meanwhile, Quinn heard reports that Harbaugh was let go because he didn’t want to make changes to his staff. He said he laughed out loud at the idea.

“I would pay money to have seen the look on Steve’s face when John said that,” Quinn said. “Like, read the room, John.”

Quinn had started research into possible coaching candidates prior to the firing. Although he’s excited about a new direction, he’s also aware there’s always a risk that a new coach brings change for the worse.

“They could definitely do worse than Harbaugh, depending on who they hire,” Quinn said. “From what I’ve read, it isn’t the strongest head coaching free agent cycle.”

Although Quinn loves the idea of a young, offense-minded coach to get the most out of Jackson, Marecki would like to see a defensive coach. Quinn, Dear and Brown all mentioned Klint Kubiak, offensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks.

“Let’s just hope EDC [general manager Eric DeCosta] can do a better job of identifying good head coaches than he does with identifying edge rushers and linebackers,” Quinn said.

Whatever the future holds, these fans are ready to usher in a new era.

“In spite of losing in devastating fashion once again, I have this unrivaled optimism about what’s to come,” Brown said. “As a fan of the Ravens and John, I want nothing more than to see both parties succeed.”