Landing John Harbaugh as their next head coach is seen by many as a dream get for the New York Giants, but one franchise great has sent a warning about hiring the Super Bowl-winning former Baltimore Ravens sideline chief.
The note of caution comes from Giants all-time rushing leader Tiki Barber. He told SNY.tv’s Niki Lattarulo how “the one thing I worry about, though, with John Harbaugh, is building a staff that’s commensurate with today’s NFL. Meaning Jaxson Dart’s continued development, what’s the defensive coordinator position going to look like? And it’s not a knock on John Harbaugh, it’s just a challenge when you’ve been somewhere for so long,” per SNY.tv’s Giants Videos.
On @Honda SportsNite, @TikiBarber joins @NikiLattarulo to discuss if John Harbaugh should be the favorite for the Giants’ head coaching position
Barber has raised relevant concerns. Particularly when Harbaugh spent close to two decades in Baltimore.
The 63-year-old also had issues with both coordinators during his final season with the Ravens. Issues that may have prompted his dismissal.
Weighing those concerns against the weight of Harbaugh’s career CV will be tricky for Giants general manager Joe Schoen. Especially when Harbaugh also has his eyes on another intriguing coaching job in the NFC.
Giants Face Strong Competition for Top Available Coach
Getting Harbaugh’s signature on a contract won’t be easy for the Giants. Not when Lattarulo’s colleague Connor Hughes reported on Monday, January 12 there’s a “belief” Harbs will choose between the Giants and Atlanta Falcons, “…with the loser of those sweepstakes landing Kevin Stefanski.”
“…with the loser of those sweepstakes landing Kevin Stefanski.
The Miami Dolphins have Harbaugh interest, too, although
Hughes’ reference to Stefanski is significant. Not least because the now former Cleveland Browns boss has been a prominent name for the Giants as an alternative to Harbaugh since the season ended.
Barber also believes “Kevin Stefanski might have the edge in the early going, despite what some of the reporting has said.” Stefanski’s success in Cleveland is modest compared to what Harbaugh achieved with the Ravens, but the Browns were rugged defensively and tough on the ground, two things the Giants haven’t been for too long.
Harbaugh’s also long favored those things, which is why he might opt for the Falcons. Particularly when Atlanta’s offense is physical thanks to bruising running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier and towering pass-catchers Drake London and Kyle Pitts.
There’s a lot for Harbaugh to like about the Falcons job, but the Giants need a keen eye for their own due diligence about the biggest name on the market.
John Harbaugh Issues Can’t Be Ignored
Harbaugh faced more than one issue with prominent members of his staff this season. In fact, his apparent refusal to take a key decision about offensive coordinator Todd Monken is said to have cost Harbaugh his job.
Being intractable about Monken’s future wasn’t the only problem Harbaugh encountered at the coaching level. He also publicly called out defensive coordinator Zach Orr’s play-calling after a win over the Green Bay Packers in Week 17.
The Giants have been here before. Most notably, when ex-head coach Brian Daboll was seemingly embroiled in a public spat with then-defensive coordinator Don ‘Wink’ Martindale, who once worked for Harbaugh with the Ravens.
There should be a desire to avoid more of the same, as well as avoiding some of the communication problems Harbaugh is said to have experienced. Those issues were explained by Dianna Russini and Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, who reported “One Raven said Harbaugh’s messages in meetings ‘rubbed some people the wrong way’ and could be contradictory. He said Harbaugh would challenge players to focus on the upcoming game, then go on a tangent about the future. Harbaugh, one player said, also didn’t necessarily click with some of the team’s younger and more talented players.”
That last line ought to concern a Giants team set to be built around youthful skill players like quarterback Jaxson Dart, wide receiver Malik Nabers and running backs Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Cam Skattebo.
Ultimately, Harbaugh’s 180-113 record may win the day, but there are negatives about this potential hire the Giants can’t ignore.
Giants Great Sends Warning About John Harbaugh