The Giants got their guy.
New York became the first team to fill their head coaching vacancy this year by agreeing to hire John Harbaugh as their next head coach late on Wednesday night.
The Giants were far from shy in their pursuit of the Super Bowl-winning coach. Reports indicated that Harbaugh, a widely sought-after and popular candidate that would have the leverage to pick his next team, was not in a rush to quickly sign with another team. He was slated to also interview with the Titans, who had their plane ready to visit Harbaugh at his home in Baltimore.
New York, however, would not let up. They met with Harbaugh for lunch and had an informal meeting with him at his home on Sunday. They then hosted him for dinner three days later with quarterback Jaxson Dart making an appearance during Harbaugh’s visit. Hours later, the two sides began working to finalize a deal before Harbaugh had the chance to meet with Tennessee.
Fortunately for New York, the feelings were far from one-sided, allowing them to swiftly tab Harbaugh as their new coach. Per Ian O’Connor of The Athletic, two days after the Ravens fired him, Harbaugh told one person about the Giants vacancy, “I think this is the job for me.”
More: Inside the Meal That Sealed the Deal for the Giants and John Harbaugh
O’Connor reports that Harbaugh had the Giants atop his potential list even before he was fired, knowing Baltimore could opt to move on. Between the opportunity to coach for a historic franchise in the Giants and work with a promising young rookie quarterback in Dart, Harbaugh was drawn to become their next head coach.
Of the nine teams with coaching vacancies this year, only the Cardinals are an older franchise than the Giants, and they have nowhere near the historical prestige that New York possesses. Since joining the NFL in 1925, the Giants have won eight total championships including four Super Bowls. They’ve had Hall of Fame players and coaches grace the field for decades, and now turn to Harbaugh to restore that past success back to the present. The Giants have not won a playoff game since their Super Bowl run in 2011-12, but feel confident that Harbaugh can return them to the heights that once made them one of the great franchises in the sport.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as NFL Insider Lists Two Key Reasons John Harbaugh Was Drawn to Coach Giants.
