John Harbaugh predictably was not out of work for very long.
The former Baltimore Ravens head coach Harbaugh is finalizing an agreement with the New York Giants to become their next head coach, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported late on Wednesday night. Schefter notes that the deal is not quite final and that the contract numbers are still being negotiated. However, the Giants are reportedly expected to hire Harbaugh “as soon as possible.”
Harbaugh, 63, had served as head coach of the Ravens since 2008 and led them to victory in Super Bowl XLVII in the 2012 season. However, Baltimore had won just four total playoff games since then, made just one appearance in the AFC title game, and missed the playoffs altogether this year. That led to Harbaugh and the Ravens parting ways.
Ever since Harbaugh became available, the Giants had been extremely aggressive in their pursuit of him (with one report earlier in the day on Wednesday claiming that they had put the “full-court press” on Harbaugh). While Harbaugh also had another finalist in mind, it will be the Giants who ultimately win the sweepstakes for him.
That marks a major coup for the Giants, who fired Brian Daboll in November and had Mike Kafka finish out the year as their interim coach. They have had four different full-time head coaches ever since Tom Coughlin stepped down in 2015, and now they will be hoping that Harbaugh can be their man for many years to come.
It will ultimately go down as just over a week after being fired by the Ravens that Harbaugh was able to find his next head coaching job. He will be tasked with (among other things) developing 22-year-old Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, a player whom Harbaugh has already notably studied.
