It took longer than expected to dot the i’s and cross the t’s, but the Giants have their man. The Giants made the hiring of John Harbaugh official with an announcement on Saturday afternoon. He becomes the 21st coach in franchise history.
“We are proud to name John Harbaugh as the next head coach of the New York Giants,” team president John Mara said in a statement. “Joe Schoen presented us an outstanding group of candidates, which allowed us to be deliberate and confident in this decision. Through numerous conversations, John consistently stood out for his conviction and vision for leading a winning organization, and we welcome him and his family to the Giants.”
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Harbaugh, 63, was head coach for 180 of Baltimore’s 276 regular-season wins in franchise history. Those victories led to 12 playoff berths in 18 seasons, including six division titles, four AFC Championship Game appearances and a Super Bowl XLVII victory.
Harbaugh’s 13 postseason victories are tied for seventh in league history and second only to Andy Reid among active head coaches.
“John is a proven winner whose teams are disciplined, resilient, and prepared,” Giants chairman Steve Tisch said in a statement. “His passion for the game, his ability to connect with players, and his experience leading at the highest level made him an outstanding fit for us, and we’re excited to move forward together.”
Harbaugh owns the most road playoff wins (eight) by a head coach in NFL history. Tom Coughlin, who led the Giants to two Super Bowl championships, and Tom Landry are second with seven each. Harbaugh is the only head coach to win a playoff game in each of his first five seasons.
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“Throughout our conversations, John stood out for his clarity, competitiveness and approach for building a sustainable winning program,” General Manager Joe Schoen said in a statement. “He has a strong track record of developing players, building cohesive staffs, and setting a clear standard of accountability. We are excited to work with John in moving this team in the right direction.”
Harbaugh will report directly to ownership, which might have been part of the holdup in the “language” the sides haggled over for a couple of days. Nonetheless, Harbaugh now is the head coach of the Giants.
“I want to thank John Mara, Steve Tisch, Chris Mara, and Joe Schoen for the opportunity to lead the New York Giants,” Harbaugh said in a statement. “To serve as this franchise’s head coach is a tremendous honor. I come from a football family, and I have deep respect for the history and tradition of this organization.
“I’m excited to begin assembling our staff and getting to work building our team. I would like to sincerely thank Steve Bisciotti and the Baltimore Ravens organization for 18 remarkable years, including the opportunity to become a head coach in the National Football League.
“My family and I are grateful for the welcome we’ve already felt, and we look forward to becoming part of the Giants family.”
