By The Canadian Press

New York Giants hire John Harbaugh as coach after identifying him as their top choice

Jan 17, 2026 | 1:06 PM

John Harbaugh agreed Saturday to become coach of the New York Giants, finalizing the big-market, longstanding franchise’s all-out pursuit of its top candidate.

Owners John Mara and Steve Tisch made the hire official less than 72 hours after a lengthy interview and dinner with Harbaugh that sealed the deal. The sides began working on a contract Wednesday night when it was clear Harbaugh was a fit and he canceled meetings with other teams.

Harbaugh is expected to report directly to ownership, rather than general manager Joe Schoen.

“To serve as this franchise’s head coach is a tremendous honor,” Harbaugh said in a statement. “I come from a football family, and I have deep respect for the history and tradition of this organization.”

Harbaugh joins the Giants less than two weeks after he was fired by the Baltimore Ravens, who made the playoffs 12 times in 18 seasons with him in charge and won the Super Bowl in the 2012 season. Baltimore fell short of the postseason this year because of a missed kick at the buzzer in the season finale, leading ownership to make an change and put Harbaugh on the market.

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Schoen and the Giants pounced, bringing on a proven winner. Harbaugh was flown in on co-owner Steve Tisch’s private plane earlier this week, spent several hours at the team facility in East Rutherford, New Jersey, spoke with young quarterback Jaxson Dart and got wined and dined at nearby Elia Mediterranean Restaurant.

With the courting process complete, Harbaugh is now tasked with turning around the beleaguered franchise that has made just two playoff appearances over the past 12 years and not made it past the divisional round. Todd Monken could follow him from Baltimore to be offensive coordinator, unless he takes a head-coaching gig in Cleveland or elsewhere.

“Joe Schoen presented us an outstanding group of candidates, which allowed us to be deliberate and confident in this decision,” Mara said. “Through numerous conversations, John consistently stood out for his conviction and vision for leading a winning organization.”

Harbaugh got the job over the likes of Kevin Stefanski, Mike McCarthy, Raheem Morris and Antonio Pierce, leapfrogging some expected front-runners who got shuffled back as soon as the 63-year-old became available. The chance to work for stable ownership and Dart made New York an attractive landing spot over places such as Tennessee, Atlanta and Miami.

“John is a proven winner whose teams are disciplined, resilient, and prepared,” Tisch said. “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.”

The Giants have talented pieces in place on either side of the ball, including running back Cam Skattebo, receiver Malik Nabers and left tackle Andrew Thomas on offense, plus pass rushers Brian Burns and Abdul Carter and nose tackle Dexter Lawrence on defense. They have the fifth pick in the draft to add to that stockpile.

Changing the culture of losing that has pervaded the Meadowlands for the better part of the last decade is now on Harbaugh’s shoulders. Counting playoff games, the seven coaches who followed 2007 and ’11 Super Bowl champion Tom Coughlin have gone 45-105-1, a winning percentage of .300.

Harbaugh is 193-124 in 317 games, a .609 winning percentage, since taking over the Ravens in 2008. He spent the previous 10 seasons as an assistant with Philadelphia, mostly as special teams coordinator and then defensive backs coach.

Schoen, after finding out from Tisch and co-owner John Mara that he was returning for a fifth year as GM, said the search would not be limited to just offensive- or defensive-minded options. While Harbaugh comes from a special teams background, he provides the kind of all-around coaching Schoen was believed to be looking for, along with a championship pedigree and a reputation that should garner him immediate respect within the locker room.

This is Schoen’s second hire after bringing Brian Daboll with him from Buffalo, where both were assistants with the Bills, in January 2022. Ownership fired Daboll on Nov. 10 after the Giants lost eight of the first 10 games in his fourth season as coach.

Mike Kafka coached out the string as the interim replacement after being promoted from offensive coordinator, and the team lost five in a row before winning its final two games to finish with a 4-13 record. Kafka interviewed but was never a serious candidate for the full-time job.

Almost no one was compared with Harbaugh, giving the Giants an off-field win that might be their biggest of any kind in several years.

“Throughout our conversations, John stood out for his clarity, competitiveness and approach for building a sustainable winning program,” Schoen said. “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.”

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press