The New York Giants have announced that John Harbaugh will be the team’s 21st head coach.
Harbaugh was fired after a difficult season for the Ravens, who missed the playoffs with a record of 8-9. So what should New York Giants fans expect from the team’s new coach?
Harbaugh has a strong record of success. During his time as head coach for the Baltimore Ravens, his leadership resulted in over 65% of the franchise’s regular-season wins, 180 out of 276. Those wins brought the team into the playoffs a total of 12 times. Not too shabby. His list of achievements includes “six division titles, 4 AFC Championship Game appearances”, and winning Super Bowl XLVII in 2013. Additionally, Harbaugh’s “13 postseason victories are tied for seventh in league history”. He currently holds the second-most wins of an active head coach.
While this season may have been a bust for Harbaugh, by no means is he a terrible coach. So why the Giants? Well, one reason for his decision to join the Giants’ franchise is the potential of the team’s rookie quarterback, Jaxson Dart.
In his first game as lead quarterback, Dart and the NY Giants beat the then-undefeated LA Chargers. Only two weeks later, he helped the team defeat the Super Bowl Champions, the Philadelphia Eagles. Dart has shown tremendous potential in his rookie season, and it seems like Harbaugh noticed.
Harbaugh said, “You build your team around your quarterback. I like the way he plays. I like his talent, but more than that, I like who he is and what he’s about.” There are quite a few players on the Giants’ roster who show real potential; the team just needs a steady hand to lead them.
Football fans saw what Harbaugh was able to do for the Ravens’ franchise over the 18 years he spent as their head coach. The Giants need someone with strong decision-making skills who can help rebuild the team. Harbaugh has shown real talent in curating a team that matches each other’s energy and pushing players to hone their skills.
Harbaugh has also shown that he can be extremely loyal to a franchise, spending 18 years in Baltimore. He is willing to put in the time to make a team successful.
Will he be able to bring some of that success to the New York Giants? I sure hope so!
