Such aspirations, at least on the surface, appear a long way off from coming to fruition.

The Giants just finished the 2025 season with a 4-13 record. They’ve won 13 combined games over the past three years, just one more than Harbaugh did in 2024 with Baltimore and matching the Ravens’ regular-season win total in 2023. Since winning its aforementioned fourth Super Bowl during the 2011 campaign, New York has made the playoffs only twice.

However, Big Blue faithful needn’t look far for inspiration.

Just this past season, the New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars won their respective divisions after making changes at head coach. Both squads jumped from four wins to 13, and New England made it all the way to Super Bowl LX. Though Harbaugh’s time in Baltimore eventually ran out due to an inability to return to the game’s biggest stage, he’s well respected as one of the NFL’s best coaches and can back it up with six postseason trips over the past eight years. A fresh start can and has produced magic before, especially with a foundation like New York has.

Quarterback Jaxson Dart looks like the real deal heading into Year 2. Dart, running back Cam Skattebo and wide receiver Malik Nabers have the makings of one of the league’s best triplets, as long as the latter two return to form coming off injuries. Abdul Carter endured his fair share of rookie growing pains, but he is likewise part of a stellar trio alongside pass rushers Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux.

Harbaugh is also operating with a new freedom, reporting to ownership rather than general manager Joe Schoen, and on Friday he announced his official coaching staff for the 2026 season.

While there were some once-expected names missing, such as his former offensive coordinator Todd Monken after he took the Cleveland Browns head coaching job, Harbaugh is as committed and optimistic about finding success with his assistants as he is about building a winner.

“Of course. Of course,” Harbaugh said when asked if offensive coordinator Matt Nagy could prove equal to Monken. “I expect Matt to be the best ever. I’m hoping he’ll be the best offensive coordinator to ever coach the game; that’s what we’re shooting for.”

Optimism abounds for now in the Big Apple.

That’s typical in the middle of February, but so, too, was Harbaugh turning belief into results by consistently reaching the playoffs with the Ravens.

The hope is that carries over (and then some) to New York.