John Harbaugh agreed Saturday to become coach of the New York Giants, finalizing the big-market, long-standing franchise\u2019s all-out pursuit of its top candidate.<\/p>\n
Owners John Mara and Steve Tisch made the hire official less than 72 hours after a lengthy interview and dinner with Harbaugh that sealed the deal. The sides began working on a contract<\/a> Wednesday night when it was clear Harbaugh was a fit, and he canceled meetings with other teams.<\/p>\n Harbaugh is expected to report directly to ownership, rather than to general manager Joe Schoen.<\/p>\n \u201cTo serve as this franchise\u2019s head coach is a tremendous honor,\u201d Harbaugh said in a statement. \u201cI come from a football family, and I have deep respect for the history and tradition of this organization.\u201d<\/p>\n Harbaugh joins the Giants less than two weeks after he was fired by the Ravens<\/a>, who made the playoffs 12 times in 18 seasons with him in charge and won the Super Bowl in the 2012 season. Baltimore fell short of the postseason<\/a> this year because of a missed kick at the buzzer in the season finale, leading owner Steve Bisciotti to make a change.<\/p>\n Schoen and the Giants pounced, bringing on a proven winner. Harbaugh was flown in<\/a> on Tisch\u2019s private plane this week, spent hours at the team facility in East Rutherford, New Jersey, spoke with young quarterback Jaxson Dart and got wined and dined at nearby Elia Mediterranean Restaurant.<\/p>\n With the courting process complete, Harbaugh is now tasked with turning around the beleaguered franchise that has made just two playoff appearances over the past 12 years and not made it past the divisional round. Todd Monken<\/a> could follow him from Baltimore to be offensive coordinator, unless he takes a head coaching gig in Cleveland or elsewhere.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe Schoen presented us an outstanding group of candidates, which allowed us to be deliberate and confident in this decision,\u201d Mara said. \u201cThrough numerous conversations, John consistently stood out for his conviction and vision for leading a winning organization.\u201d<\/p>\n Harbaugh got the job over Kevin Stefanski, Mike McCarthy, Raheem Morris and Antonio Pierce, leapfrogging some expected front-runners who got shuffled back as soon as the 63-year-old became available. The chance to work for stable ownership and with Dart made New York an attractive landing spot over places such as Tennessee, Atlanta and Miami.<\/p>\n \u201cJohn is a proven winner whose teams are disciplined, resilient, and prepared,\u201d Tisch said. \u201cHis passion for the game, his ability to connect with players, and his experience leading at the highest level made him an outstanding fit for us, and we\u2019re excited to move forward together.\u201d<\/p>\n The Giants have talented pieces in place on both sides of the ball, including running back Cam Skattebo, receiver Malik Nabers and left tackle Andrew Thomas on offense, plus pass rushers Brian Burns<\/a> and Abdul Carter<\/a> and nose tackle Dexter Lawrence on defense. They have the fifth pick in the draft to add to that stockpile.<\/p>\n Changing the culture of losing that has pervaded the Meadowlands for the better part of a decade is on Harbaugh\u2019s shoulders. Counting playoff games, the seven coaches who followed 2007 and 2011 Super Bowl champion Tom Coughlin have gone 45-105-1, a winning percentage of .300.<\/p>\n Harbaugh is 193-124, a .609 winning percentage, since taking over the Ravens in 2008. He spent the previous 10 seasons as an assistant with Philadelphia, mostly as special teams coordinator and then defensive backs coach.<\/p>\n