After 18 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, including a Super Bowl win in 2012, John Harbaugh was let go on January 6 after failing to get back to the Super Bowl with dual-threat legend Lamar Jackson at his disposal.
The Giants swooped in and awarded Harbaugh with the largest coaching contract ever (5-years/$100 million). With the franchise mired in a 7-27 slump over two seasons; after dumping Brian Daboll, the mission was to find an experienced winner. The Giants pursued Harbaugh and gave him unprecedented power, where he would supersede the front office and report directly to co-owner John Mara.
Giants Give John Harbaugh 5-Year/$100M Deal With Full Control
“They basically said ‘here’s our kingdom, here’s the keys, please lead us back to relevancy,” Giants reporter Art Stapleton said.
“He’s got it carte blanche… He’s going to have a huge budget to pay his coaches…he’s going to go out and pick his coordinators and he’s going to pick the players with GM Joe Schoen. There’s one voice in this organization right now and that’s John Harbaugh.”
“Guys like this normally don’t hit the market,” Stapleton added. “Andy Reid did he went from Philly to KC and built a dynasty.”
Can John Harbaugh Revive Franchise With Jaxson Dart Like Tom Coughlin Did With Eli Manning?
Anthony Rivardo, Managing Editor for Empire Sports Media and host of @FiresideGiants, presented an optimistic historical correlation to the hiring of John Harbaugh. And it made a lot of sense, comparing Harbaugh’s arrival to that of Tom Coughlin back in 2004.
2003 Giants:
– 4-12 record
– Hired a retread HC Tom Coughlin
– Drafted an Ole Miss QB (Eli Manning)
2025 Giants:
– 4-13 record
– Hired a retread HC John Harbaugh
– Pairing him with an Ole Miss QB (Jaxson Dart)
I know how the first story ended. Part 2?
Tom Coughlin came to the Giants in 2004, just as they drafted Eli Manning. The franchise was closing in on a 20-year Super Bowl drought, with the last Super Bowl championship coming in 1991. He served as the head coach until 2015, leading the team to two Super Bowl victories during his tenure.
Tom Coughlin Had Winning Resume, Craved New Challenge
During his time as head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Coughlin took an expansion franchise, led the team to four consecutive playoff appearances and achieved two AFC Championship Games, including a signature win over the Buffalo Bills in 1996. He had an overall record of 68 wins and 60 losses, before fizzling out in 2002.
He was tabbed by the Giants to be the calming force for the franchise, re-direct the culture and help Manning blossom into a championship-caliber leader and quarterback. Coughlin got the most out of Manning and his tough-love approach infused a discipline and unified motion in the franchise that elevated it to great heights.
The Giants believe Harbaugh has that pedigree and can have that kind of effect.
Fans React To Comparison Between John Harbaugh Hire and Tom Coughlin Hire
Most Giants fans embraced the thought.
“HARBAUGH IS COUGHLIN 2.0 WITH THE RIGHT COACHING STAFF AND PLAYERS HARBAUGH CAN GET REDEMPTION AND ADD TO HIS NFL LEGACY,” one excited Giants fan said on X.
“I hope you’re right but this is definitely a reach. nothing says retread like securing a 100 million dollar deal and being the most coveted coach in free agency. Coughlin at the time was an actual retread,” another fan added, while pointing out the differences between Harbaugh and Coughlin at the time he was hired.
Fans of other teams, especially the Ravens, ridiculed the comparison.
“Ravens fan here don’t count on it but he is good at spewing Bible quotes.. if you are into that sort of thing,” said one Ravens fans attempting to diminish Harbaugh as a head coach.
“well if jaxson can throw for over 57000 yards and 360 tds and be the clutch player and and consistent player and leader eli was and john can be the leader and strategist and tough no-nonsense coach tom was and…,” said one fan with intentions to expose the levels of hypothetical banter that the post suggested.
Harbaugh Had Success With Two-Time MVP Lamar Jackson, Jaxson Dart Is Next
Harbaugh is a proven leader whose time in Baltimore got stale despite the electrifying Lamar Jackson packing stadiums and bars across the country each weekend. He certainly didn’t hold Lamar Jackson back, even if things didn’t work out. There aren’t too many pessimistic Giants fans right now because the franchise has truly hit rock bottom. But rookie quarterback Dart and his fellow rookie running back Cam Skattebo infused the four-win fanbase with some excitement for the future.
Can John Harbaugh Pull Off A Tom Coughlin?
The newly-minted Giants coach spoke highly of the franchise and the respect his father had for it in his introductory presser. He also thanked several of the New York Giants players for showing up to greet him for the first time.
As for Jackson, in a recent interview on WFAN 660 In New York, Harbaugh says he has a “phenomenal” relationship with his former QB, whom he calls “one of my favorite human beings.”
RELATED: Bill Parcells HOF Induction Gives Tom Coughlin a Future Glimpse
Giants fans are definitely entering a new era with a driven and passionate head coach who could use a new challenge. There were plenty of opportunities available for a head coach of John Harbaugh’s stature. He chose to go into the belly of the beast and try to feed a hungry New York Giants fan base that is running out of patience.
