Giants hire John Harbaugh as next head coach
Chirs Bumbaka breaks down John Harbaugh’s new tenure with the New York Giants and what this means for the organization going forward.
- John Harbaugh is finalizing a deal to become the new head coach of the New York Giants.
- Harbaugh was released by the Baltimore Ravens last week, making him a highly sought-after candidate.
- The move is seen as a big win for the Giants organization, especially owner John Mara.
The race to secure John Harbaugh’s services ended shortly after it officially began.
The former Baltimore Ravens coach became the year’s most hotly pursued candidate on the open market shortly after he was fired last Tuesday. By late Wednesday night, Harbaugh and the New York Giants were working to finalize a deal to make him the organization’s new head coach, people familiar with the matter told USA TODAY Sports. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement has not yet been finalized.
In filling the first of nine head coaching vacancies this offseason, both Harbaugh and the Giants will send ripples throughout the NFL and its coaching search process that will certainly be felt in the coming weeks and months.
The coach, whose resume includes 180 regular season wins and a Super Bowl championship, will now be tasked with reinvigorating a franchise that has been one of the league’s doormats for nearly a decade.
Here are the biggest winners and losers from this move.
winner
John Mara
Last January, the Giants’ president and co-owner slammed his organization’s leadership after deciding to keep Brian Daboll for another year, saying, “I’m going to have to feel better about this time next year.” He didn’t keep Daboll around, but it’s safe to say that 12 months later Mara is much happier. New York reeled in the biggest fish of this coaching cycle, acquiring someone who could make the quick turnaround Mara was looking for. Doing so would likely cost Harbaugh dearly, as New York would have to provide a good reason for Harbaugh to end the search and focus instead on closing a deal with Big Blue. But it’s clear that Mara is willing to pay a premium to get someone with a proven track record of leading organizations to compete year after year.
john harbaugh
He couldn’t leave Baltimore on his own terms, but you can bet control won’t be an issue for Harbaugh as he takes the reins of the Giants. After being waived by the Ravens, Harbaugh had almost unparalleled influence in weighing his options. It’s not immediately clear how things will shake out in New York, but it seems safe to say that his influence at all levels should be significant after New York’s upper echelons pursued him aggressively to get a deal done. Harbaugh has landed in a position with some promising attributes, and simply getting the team back to competency could be hailed as a hero by a fan base that has only had one season of seven or more wins in the past nine years.
jackson dart
A dual-threat quarterback could do much worse than pairing him with a head coach who oversaw two MVP seasons in Lamar Jackson, especially if Coach Harbaugh brings in Todd Monken as offensive coordinator. Dart has been described by many as a draw for New York in the coaching search process, and Harbaugh’s willingness to pursue the opener rather than seeing what else is available seems to bode well for this pairing. Regardless of how his partnership with Jackson panned out toward the end, Harbaugh proved quite adaptable to the demands of a quarterback during his playing days. That doesn’t mean I necessarily support the headlong dives that Dart may return to from time to time, especially given the injuries that have loomed over the coach’s team at times. But it seems likely that the second-year signal-caller will be replaced by a new leader who embraces his offensive identity, rather than one who tries to change it.
television network
The league and its broadcast partners love to stuff the Big Blue into primetime, regardless of whether the team can realistically expect to keep pace with the top contenders. Now, the Giants are sure to become an even more popular option for the lone spot, with others following suit to see if a quick turnaround is possible. There is no revenge game scheduled for 2026 against the Ravens, nor is the Harbaugh Bowl against the Los Angeles Chargers and his brother Jim Harbaugh. But it doesn’t take a lot of creativity to sell people on the initial stages of this new setup.
Joe Sean
On the other hand, Harbaugh’s appointment appears to be a net negative for Shane in terms of wielding power, as the new head coach is sure to have a huge impact on many fronts. Still, Harbaugh is one of the few who can take advantage of the lopsided roster the Giants general manager has assembled. Ultimately, Shane’s hope may be that the New England Patriots can find Mike Vrabel to slot Elliott Wolf into a smaller but safer position. Given Mara’s admitted lack of patience and the Giants’ all-out pursuit nature, striking out Harbaugh would have been embarrassing.
loser
tennessee titans
They reportedly went on a Harbaugh tour next. Indeed, it seemed like a distant goal for the Titans to secure his services, but with the cap space to facilitate a rapid resurgence and No. 1 pick Kam Ward, who showed serious resiliency and big-play ability as a rookie, they were frequently mentioned as a team that couldn’t be fired right away. General manager Mike Borgonzi is casting a wide net in his search for the University of Tennessee, and it was immediately clear that he was interested in talking to just about anyone with head coaching experience. So it’s no surprise that the most established candidates would have been of great interest for a team desperately trying to re-establish relevance ahead of the opening of Nashville’s new stadium in 2027.
atlanta falcons
If ever there was a team on the market looking for a quick fix, this is it. The Falcons are currently stranded in an eight-season playoff drought, the second-longest in the NFL, and owner Arthur Blank’s patience is wearing thin after years of watching his team fall into mediocrity. Atlanta has a lot of interesting players on its roster, including All-Pro running back Bijan Robinson, wide receiver Drake Rondon, and a defense littered with young cornerstones. However, the organization is severely lacking in resources for short-term growth, so hiring someone who can develop and mobilize internal talent is essential. Mr. Harbaugh appeared to be a strong candidate for these duties, but they will now go to someone else.
Kevin Stefanski
When the two-time NFL Coach of the Year hit the open market, it looked like he could win this season’s big prize. And the next day, Harbaugh took over the title. With Harbaugh considered, Stefanski will likely have a lot of leverage when weighing his options among other available spots. But despite the Giants’ dysfunction on many levels, Stefanski thought New York was an attractive landing spot, offering a slightly more sedate outlook in some aspects than what he was used to seeing in Cleveland.
Lou Anarumo
When the Giants fired Brian Daboll on Nov. 10, the Indianapolis Colts were 8-2 and had a rising star in Anarumo, whose defense continued to confuse opponents. Of course, past that point, the Colts would lose their next seven games and would not be able to advance to the playoffs. Anarumo still looked very convincing in this opener, even at this late stage in the campaign. That would have given him the opportunity to work with his son, Louie Anarumo, who is a pro scout for the Giants. But the arrival of Mr. Harbaugh and Mr. Stefanski probably has significantly dampened his candidacy. He’s not a regular on the interview circuit like other teams, and the only other team he’s involved with this cycle is the Titans. At this point, it seems most likely for the 59-year-old to return to Indianapolis for the crucial 2026 season.
mike mccarthy
Like Anarumo, he is also elderly at 62 years old and has only received consideration from the Titans outside of New York. At one point, he probably stood out as a safe and established candidate, given his history of returning the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys to playoff contenders. But he, too, receded a bit into the background once the coaching carousel began in earnest. Don’t fire him for the Tennessee job. However, McCarthy’s absence from the NFL head coaching ranks may extend beyond a year.
