Giants officially hire John Harbaugh as next head coach, reportedly agreeing to 5-year deal - Yahoo

After much negotiation from the Giants, John Harbaugh appeared in New York.

Giants officially hire John Harbaugh as their next head coach, agreeing to a 5-year contract

The New York giants get the player they have been trying to get since he came on: john harbaugh.

The Giants and Harbaugh finalized the deal on Saturday and the team officially announced the hiring.

"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 with an excellent group of candidates, which allowed us to be informed and confident in this decision."

"Through numerous conversations, John has always stood out for his belief and vision to lead a winning organization. We welcome him and his family to the Giants," he added.

The Harbaugh era begins now pic.twitter.com/Ecak10hpS0

— New York Giants (@Giants) January 17, 2026

The deal is expected to last five years and be worth $100 million, one of the largest contracts in the league, according to NFL reporter Jordan Schultz.

“This is the New York Giants,” Harbaugh said, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Harbaugh told The Athletic's Ian O'Connor that he will report directly to Giants owner John Mara, rather than general manager Joe Schoen.

Harbaugh became the Giants' fifth coach (counting seven seasons) after Tom Coughlin resigned in January 2016.Former Baltimore Ravens coordinator Todd Monken is expected to join Harbaugh in his job, it has been reported.

Welcome to Big Blue Coach Harbaugh pic.twitter.com/Uoa0ds0rdp

- New York Giants (@Giants) Janairu 17, 2026

The Giants' interest in Harbaugh was evident from the moment he took the field. Teams reportedly targeted the coach shortly after he was fired by the Ravens, and the interest was mutual, with Harbaugh reportedly watching video of Giants quarterback Jackson Dart (as well as Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward).

That dance ended in an unexpected sequence before Harbaugh was hired on Wednesday.The Giants have their first interview with the coach, who plans to meet with the Titans and Atlanta Falcons.A lot from the Giants "wouldn't let him leave the building," but he did and went home to Baltimore.

A coach who declined to make a "big push" as one reporter described the Giants recruiting staff typically means a deal isn't close, but Harbaugh was still on the phone and seemed ready to start talking numbers about his first Giants contract.

Harbaugh was the top name on the coaching market

Harbaugh coached the Ravens for 18 seasons before being fired this cycle after a disappointing 8-9 season.He went 180-113 with the Ravens in the regular season and led the team to a Super Bowl victory in 2013.

Although it was the sixth time he missed the playoffs with the Ravens, Harbaugh has struggled to advance in the playoffs since winning the Super Bowl.The last time the Ravens won that many games in a season was 2012-13.Since 2014, Harbaugh's playoff record is 3-6.

Now that he's with the Giants, it will be a long time before Harbaugh reunites with the Ravens, barring a Super Bowl matchup.Both teams don't play in the regular season until 2028.

Harbaugh started as the special teams and defensive backs coach with the Philadelphia Eagles in the early 2000s under Ray Rhodes and Andy Reid.

Harbaugh is the Giants' reward for a difficult year

The Giants finished 4-13 in 2025 and missed the playoffs for the eighth time in nine seasons.After dropping their first three games and starting 2-8, the Giants fired head coach Brian Daboll.Offensive coordinator Mike Kafka was named interim head coach for the remainder of the regular season.

It was another season to forget for the Giants.Star wide receiver Malik Nabers is out for the season after tearing his ACL in Week 4;fan favorite running back Cam Skattebo sprained his ankle in Week 8 and will need future surgery;and first-year quarterback Dart required five concussion evaluations and missed time after being diagnosed with one when his running style was questionable.

Still, there have been signs of improvement, and if the roster stays healthy, Harbaugh could help the Giants have a more successful 2026 season.The Giants increased their total yards per game by 38.7 on offense, and increased their passing and scoring averages, yards per game and points scored.Defensively, there were a few down years, but Brian Burns finished second in the NFL with a team-high 16.5 sacks.

Help will come in April's NFL draft as the Giants select fifth overall, the fourth time in the last five seasons they have a top-six pick.