Giants working to finalize deal to hire John Harbaugh as next coach, per report

The New York Giants are working to finalize a deal with former Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh to become their next coach, ESPN reported. The deal is not yet finalized and contract numbers are still being negotiated. However, it appears that Harbaugh has chosen his suitor.

Harbaugh was fired by the Ravens on January 6 following Baltimore’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was the winningest coach in franchise history, going 180-113 in his 18 seasons, won Super Bowl XLVII in 2013 and was named Coach of the Year in 2019.

While Harbaugh won 10 playoff games in his first seven seasons with the Ravens, he has only won three playoff games in the last 11 years. Harbaugh was reportedly confident he would return to Baltimore to win the Lombardi Trophy in 2026, but the Ravens made the decision to look for another coach who could get the most out of two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson.

When the Ravens made the surprising decision to fire Harbaugh, his agent said he received calls from seven different teams expressing interest in his client 45 minutes after the news broke, according to ESPN. There were only six other head coaching positions at the time. Harbaugh officially interviewed with the Giants on Wednesday in the presence of team owners John Mara and Steve Tisch, as well as quarterback Jaxson Dart, according to NFL Media.

Harbaugh is expected to replace Brian Daboll, who was 20-40-1 in his four seasons as leader. The former Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator went 9-7-1 in his first season in 2022, won NFL Coach of the Year and upset the Minnesota Vikings in the playoffs. However, the Giants took a step back the following season with a 6-11 record, and went 3-14 in 2024 before Daboll was ultimately fired 10 games into the 2025 season.

Overall, the Giants have struggled since Tom Coughlin resigned after the 2015 season. All four full-time head coaches finished with losing records. The Giants have the second-worst record in the NFL (55-109-1) in the 10 seasons since the end of the Coughlin era. Only the New York Jets have been worse.

Giants coaches since Tom Coughlin (2016)

*refers to temporary

Despite all the difficulties, the Giants were still considered one of the most attractive vacancies this offseason.

New York owns the No. 5 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, has a future franchise quarterback in Dart, a talented running back in Cam Skattebo, a star in Malik Nabers, and then plenty of talent on the defensive line in Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence II and Abdul Carter. Now they have new hope in the form of an experienced coach who knows how to not only find success, but maintain it.