The Baltimore Ravens and John Harbaugh parted ways after 18 seasons together. Harbaugh is the most winning coach in franchise history, and now he’s taking his talents to East Rutherford, New Jersey, as the next head coach of the New York Giants.
The Giants, who the Ravens defeated in Super Bowl 35 for the franchise’s first Super Bowl, are looking for stability with the Harbaugh hire. Since winning Super Bowl 46, the Giants have only made the playoffs twice.
With a young core featuring Jaxson Dart, Malik Nabers, Abdul Carter, and Cam Skattebo, the Giants feel like they are building the core pieces that will allow them to compete, and Harbaugh is the right voice to guide them.
Harbaugh Wants to Revamp Organization
Since John Harbaugh became the Ravens’ head coach in 2008, the team has been one of the most well-run organizations in the NFL. While the Ravens have only one Super Bowl title to show for Harbaugh’s tenure, they were always a team in playoff contention, something the Giants also want to achieve.
ESPN’s Jordan Raanan tweeted about the significant changes Harbaugh reportedly wants to make to the Giants’ organizational structure.
“Change is difficult but spoke with former players and coaches who were with Ravens and Giants,” Raanan wrote. “To a man they suggested the Ravens operation was running at a different level. Everything from analytics, training, video, medical, personnel. Baltimore is known to spare no expense. Huge staffs, top-notch facilities. One of the best run organizations top to bottom in NFL. Several that know Harbaugh well suggested he would want major changes to the way the Giants organization operates. That appears to be taking shape right from the jump.”
Harbaugh seems eager to waste no time molding the Giants’ organization into his own, while also collaborating with the franchise’s existing general manager, Joe Schoen.
Reporting Directly to Ownership
One of the changes that John Harbaugh is reportedly already bringing to the Giants is him reporting directly to owner John Mara instead of general manager Joe Schoen. Typically, the Giants use a structure in which the head coach reports to the general manager, but in this scenario, Harbaugh would have more power than a coach usually does.
Last Friday, the Athletic’s Ian O’Connor wrote on Twitter about the possible arrangement with Harbaugh and the Giants that was the minor hang-up before Harbaugh ultimately signed his five-year deal with New York.
“The Giants have never hired a HC as accomplished as John Harbaugh, including Dan Reeves (lower win %, no ring). If he needs a parallel report with Joe Schoen to the Maras to close it out, so be it. Ball is on the 1-yard line. Give it to [Cam] Skattebo and we’ll see you Tuesday,” O’Connor wrote.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wrote in his January 17 article about how Harbaugh having more power could ultimately help Schoen.
“From Schoen’s perspective, giving a little power in order to get a proven head coach has significant benefits,” Florio wrote. “Harbaugh could do well enough to keep Schoen in place for years to come, like Broncos coach Sean Payton has done for G.M. George Paton, who traded for and prematurely gave an ill-advised market-level contract to quarterback Russell Wilson.”
Harbaugh will have a tough time replicating the success he had in Baltimore, but he feels that with the pieces the Giants already have and the ability to steer the ship, he will get the Giants back on track.
John Harbaugh Wants to Institute Major Changes to the Giants Organization