ExtremeRavens Posted 14 hours ago Posted 14 hours ago Shortly before midnight on Wednesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter made the report that was confirmed by The Baltimore Sun. John Harbaugh was set to become the New York Giants’ next head coach. It took three more days — and a series of confusing updates without an official announcement — but New York and the former Ravens coach finally reached a five-year agreement Sunday, according to multiple reports. As part of the deal, Harbaugh will report directly to Giants ownership, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported. The arrangement marks a notable concession by the organization, deviating from its typical structure. The Giants are primarily owned by John Mara and Steve Tisch. “This is the New York Giants,” Harbaugh told ESPN. “I’m proud and honored to the head coach of this historic franchise, and especially excited to work with the Mara and Tisch families. But most of all, I can’t wait to get started with the great players on this football team to see what we can accomplish together.” ESPN’s Giants beat reporter Jordan Raanan described the stalemate Friday as “working through organizational and operational issues.” It’s important to remember that Harbaugh reported directly to owner Steve Bisciotti during his 18 years in Baltimore. That structure looks different in New York, according to The Athletic’s Dan Duggan, as general manager Joe Schoen holds significant authority and also has faced heavy criticism for his managerial approach. A recent precedent existed. Just one year ago, Jacksonville coach Liam Coen required the firing of general manager Trent Baalke as a condition of accepting the job, a move that preceded the Jaguars’ first playoff appearance in three years. Harbaugh met with Schoen Wednesday at Elia Mediterranean Restaurant in East Rutherford, New Jersey, during his pitch to join the organization. But he had already reportedly sidestepped Schoen, holding an “informal lunch meeting” at his house with Giants senior player personnel executive Chris Mara days before his first official meeting with the general manager, according to Ian O’Connor of The Athletic. “There were plenty of things to figure out, including structure, how things were going work in John Harbaugh and general manager Joe Schoen,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said. “This was about John Harbaugh getting more power than they typically give a coach,” added Mike Garafolo of the network. “Even general manager Joe Schoen understood that.” Schefter indicated in his initial report that work remained, noting that “contract numbers still are being negotiated.” He later added that “there are still some details to work out,” clarifying a day later that the holdup wasn’t about money — “it’s over language.” By Saturday morning, Schefter reported the deal was still being worked on but trending toward completion, with optimism Harbaugh could be introduced Tuesday. Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News reported Friday that many within the Giants’ organization had expected Harbaugh to want Schoen to be gone or to reduce his power in a new organizational structure. Leonard reported that several internal departments — including the training room, video and public relations staffs — had historically been insulated from regime changes, and that removing long-tenured personnel with ties to ownership was among the most sensitive issues within the organization. Any effort by Harbaugh to install his own staff, Leonard wrote, would have required disrupting some of the most protected positions behind the scenes in East Rutherford — a dynamic that risked creating internal friction. Raanan’s reporting reinforced Leonard’s depiction of a potential power struggle, suggesting the delay was less about contractual fine print and more about how much authority Harbaugh would ultimately have inside the building. Raanan reported that people with experience in both Baltimore and New York consistently described the Ravens as operating on a different organizational plane, citing advantages in analytics, training, video, medical and personnel infrastructure. Baltimore’s willingness to invest heavily across departments had long served as an internal benchmark leaguewide. Several people familiar with Harbaugh’s thinking, Raanan reported, believed he was unlikely to accept a situation that did not allow him to replicate that model — a stance that ultimately shaped the final agreement. The deal is finally done. And Harbaugh’s entrance into the Big Apple came with the kind of dramatic flair the city is known for. Have a news tip? Contact Michael Howes at mhowes@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/Mikephowes. View the full article Quote
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