John Harbaugh was officially hired as the 24th head coach of the New York Giants on Jan. 17. Since 2017, things have been going downhill for the team. After going through six coaches, and only having one successful season, the Giants were in for a much-needed staff change.
Harbaugh is considered one of the top football coaches in the NFL and comes from a family of proven winners. His brother Jim was a Heisman finalist during his college career at the University of Michigan and then went on to have a successful career in the NFL. He later coached Michigan to win the 2023 National Championship. His father, Jack Harbaugh, was also a college football coach for 41 years at various colleges serving in a number of roles. John won a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens and hopes to bring that same success to the New York Giants.
The search for the Giants head coach started after the firing of former head coach Brian Daboll on Nov. 10, 2025, following a 2-8 start to the ‘25/‘26 season. Offensive coordinator Mike Kafka was promoted to interim head coach for the remainder of the season, and the Giants finished off their nightmarish season with a 4-13 record. The ‘25/‘26 season was not great for Harbaugh, who had been the head coach of the Ravens for 18 years (longest tenured head coach in NFL history). The Ravens lost the final game of the season to the 9-7 Pittsburgh Steelers, resulting in a disappointing 8-9 record to finish the season.
In the Jan. 26 article on Yahoo!Sports entitled “‘It Would Pay Dividends Immediately’: Cris Carter Welcomes John Harbaugh’s Move to New York Giants”, NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter said he believes John Harbaugh accepted the New York Giants head coaching position because the roster is ready to compete for a championship immediately and does not require a rebuild like some of the other teams. “They’ve got cornerstone players,” Carter said. He added, “They’ve got offensive linemen; Nabers the receiver, who’s special; Skattebo, who can be special. They’ve got another running back, a quarterback… This is a great time to be the coach of the Giants.” Carter continued, “To get that type of stability, a grown man coming into the building, I believe that it will pay dividends immediately. I believe they’ll be in the playoffs.”
Many fans, such as freshman Matthew Barbash, thought highly of the hiring. When asked about it, Barbash explained, “I loved it. I thought Harbaugh was a great fit for the team because Harbaugh is known to be a team developer and the Giants have a lot of players who have lots of potential.”
Other Giants fans, like junior Jake Frankel, had similar thoughts: “I think it is a great move. This is a much-needed change for the team. The only thing I am slightly skeptical about is the staff he has brought in, but we will see how that goes.”
With the 2026 season 193 days away, the Giants have plenty of time to work out all the kinks and build up the team to its first winning season since 2022.
