With John Harbaugh officially introduced as the next head coach of the New York Giants, the real work can finally begin.
The former Baltimore Ravens head coach can now begin shaping the roster and building out his coaching staff as he sees fit, which should surely excite some Giants fans.
The latest reports indicate that Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken is the favorite to land the same gig in New York, that is, if he doesn’t land a head coaching job.
“Todd Monken, who was the Ravens’ offensive coordinator for the past three years, is the heavy favorite to follow Harbaugh to New York and continue in that role,” reported The Athletic’s Dan Duggan.
“That’s not a slam dunk, however, since Monken is getting a second interview for the Cleveland Browns’ head-coaching vacancy. Monken has also interviewed for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator job.”
Will Todd Monken Follow John Harbaugh to New York?
Monken has served as the Baltimore Ravens’ offensive coordinator since Harbaugh hired him away from Georgia following their College Football Playoff National Championship in 2022, replacing Greg Roman.
In his first season with Baltimore, he helped Lamar Jackson win his second MVP award, and the Ravens made a deep postseason run, culminating in an AFC Championship game loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Monken’s offenses have performed fairly well in his three seasons with the Ravens, finishing sixth, first, and 16th in total yards, respectively, in his three years as the offensive coordinator.
The offense this year wasn’t great, and some of that can be attributed to nagging injuries to Jackson that persisted throughout the season.
Regardless, Monken owned up to his mistakes and took responsibility for Baltimore’s shortcomings.
“I didn’t coach Lamar well enough. I didn’t have as good of a relationship as I could have. I didn’t do the things we needed to do this year to win enough games to give ourselves a chance. I believe that,” Monken admitted on the Ryan Ripken Show.
Despite how the season ended for the Ravens, Harbaugh seemed intent on keeping Monken as his offensive coordinator, a breaking point that may have signaled the end of the coach’s 18-year run in Baltimore.
If Harbaugh was willing to ride with his offensive coordinator until it put him at odds with his boss, it seems reasonable to me to assume that he would be willing to follow him to the New York Giants, barring any head coaching opportunities.
Favorites for Next Giants Defensive Coordinator
On the defensive side of things, Harbaugh seems to have plenty of connections with talented coaches around the league.
Duggan, in the same report mentioned earlier, tabbed a handful of names as potential targets.
“There’s a more diverse collection of defensive coordinator possibilities with ties to Harbaugh. Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr, Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson, Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, Denver Broncos defensive passing game coordinator Jim Leonhard and Chiefs defensive line coach Joe Cullen are among the potential DC targets,” wrote Duggan.
The New York Giants also requested an interview with Minnesota Vikings pass game coordinator/defensive backs coach Daronte Jones, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
There’s no leader in the clubhouse for the defensive coordinator position like Monken for the offensive coordinator gig, but regardless, the new staff is beginning to take shape.
The Giants are expected to begin interviews as soon as Wednesday.
Giants Insider Shares Telling Todd Monken, Coordinator Update: Report