Speak to any New York Giants fan today and also you sense the thrill. The hope. The optimism. There was a few of that in a troublesome 13-year stretch, however not like what you’re feeling now.
NFL analysts who dare to foretell that the downtrodden Giants would possibly go from worst to first within the NFC East, or not less than be ok to compete for a playoff berth, aren’t scoffed on the method they might have been in recent times. Their opinions are given validity.
The rationale for the change?
Harbaugh brings credibility to the pinnacle teaching place and to the group that has not existed since Tom Coughlin coached the Giants. Harbaugh is 14th on the all-time win listing for coaches with 180 regular-season victories. He has coached in 24 playoff video games, sixth-most of all-time. In 18 years with the Baltimore Ravens, his groups received fewer than eight video games only one time. The Ravens made the playoffs in 12 of these 18 seasons. They received a Tremendous Bowl.
Harbaugh has introduced rather more to New York than a resume stuffed with gaudy accomplishments. He has introduced a presence, a power of will, an unusual power, and an expectation of each day excellence which have modified the Giants group for the higher.
Earlier than hiring Harbaugh, the Giants had gone via 4 full-time head coaches — Ben McAdoo, Pat Shurmur, Joe Decide, Brian Daboll — and two interim ones — Steve Spagnuolo and Mike Kafka — as they tried to search out the best successor to two-time Tremendous Bowl winner Tom Coughlin.
After the Ravens fired Harbaugh, the Giants noticed a prize they needed to have. They placed on a full-court press, together with journeys to Baltimore by Chris Mara, communication from a cancer-stricken John Mara, altering their energy construction to have the coach report back to John Mara somewhat than GM Joe Schoen, and a top-of-market five-year, $100 million contract.
The day the Giants launched Harbaugh, there was a way that one thing completely different was about to unfold. There was an edginess across the facility, like everybody was afraid they might make a mistake that will dampen the day. There have been extra seats than ordinary arrange within the observe facility for the press convention. There have been a excessive variety of gamers in attendance.
The Harbaugh Expertise had begun.
What’s the Harbaugh Expertise? Let’s discover out from the gamers and coaches who work with him each day, and from Harbaugh himself.
Jun 3, 2026; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh appears to be like on throughout organized crew actions at Quest Diagnostics Coaching Heart. Obligatory Credit score: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Pictures Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Pictures
Offensive line coach Mike Bloomgren had by no means labored with Harbaugh earlier than accepting a job on his teaching workers.
“He is all about ball, and he’s all about what can I do to help the players perform,” Bloomgren mentioned. “And, I know you guys haven’t had an opportunity to go to his team meetings, but every day is like a TED Talk. And, like, I leave there ready to go take the field myself.
“And I think all of our groups do, too. It’s awesome to be a part of with somebody with this much of a laser focus on making the 2026 New York Giants the best they can be.”
Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, getting into his ninth NFL season, admitted Harbaugh is among the causes he wished to be a Big.
“That goes into the decision of why I wanted to come here, to be around that, to know what he stands for,” Edmunds mentioned. “Not just obviously on the field, but even talking with him, you know what I mean? He’s a guy that you just get the feel, like you know what, man, he’s all ball. It’s not just all talk. It’s based off his resumé. Just look at the things that he’s done.
“If you have any type of competitive drive in your blood or whatever, you want to be playing for a guy like that.”
At his introductory press convention, Harbaugh mentioned his mother and father, Jack and Jackie Harbaugh, taught him to assault every day “with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind.”
Whereas driving via Montana to go to buddies earlier this month (sure, even “all ball” head coaches take a while off at times), Harbaugh supplied Large Blue View his perspective on the Harbaugh Expertise and the way others view it.
“I guess I take it as a compliment in the sense of, just that’s what we’re here for,” Harbaugh mentioned. “I’ve become obsessed with it. I always have been.
“I have other things in my life and whatnot. But as far as when you walk into the building, and we talk about other things, too, but it’s always making it about that and not getting caught up in other trains of thought or other priorities or agendas. Just trying to keep it about what we’re here for, what’s important. And try to really be over the top in terms of that and have fun with it and make it important and just make what they do important and them important and all those kind of things.”
TED Talks, for the uninitiated, are mainly idea-filled, motivational speeches of 18 minutes or much less. Bloomgren’s comment despatched me scurrying to the Web to search out that out.
“I think one thing that really stands out is just the messaging,” Edmunds mentioned. “He’s a quote type guy. Every day he’s kind of giving us a little nugget here and there that we can put into our belt that we can take with us outside of football. Some stuff is just dedicated to football; some stuff is life skills, and I appreciate that, because you can relate to him just outside of the game.
“And us players, it’s going to make you want to play ten times harder for the coach, which is why he’s had success in the past, which now we all can see why like, you know what? That makes sense.”
Each alternative to speak to his crew, each probability to have a gathering, have a dialog, have a observe is essential to Harbaugh. Nothing is meaningless.
“To me, it’s like if it’s worth, if we’re all going to be here, we’re doing something that we feel like is meaningful and important,” Harbaugh mentioned. “Then, to me that goes through eternity. If you want to look at life that way, which is how I look at it, then let’s go, man. Let’s give it everything we got. Let’s be over the top for that.
“We’re not trying to be too cool, too cool for school, or act like this is just another day, or this is like old hat. Nothing is old hat. Everything is new. Everything is a new day, a new opportunity, just to be your best. Talk to them all the time. I mean, being your best is really hard to do. Doing your best is really hard to do. It takes a lot. You got to really be intentional about that.”
‘A good damn football coach’
Willie Taggart’s taking part in and training profession has been related to the Harbaugh household for greater than 30 years. John and Jim Harbaugh helped recruit Taggart to play quarterback for his or her father, Jack, at Western Kentucky. He performed there from 1995-98. Taggart then coached for Jack Harbaugh at Western Kentucky for a couple of seasons. He coached operating backs at Stanford for Jim Harbaugh from 2007-2009. He coached operating backs for John Harbaugh in Baltimore for the previous three seasons.
Nobody across the Giants is aware of Harbaugh higher than Taggart, who now coaches the crew’s operating backs. He is aware of why Harbaugh succeeds on the sphere, and earns respect off of it
“I just think it’s a Harbaugh thing,” Taggart mentioned. “What I mean by that when it comes to coaching for the most part you either get one or the other, forcefulness or sincerity. Not many coaches have both. When you’re dealing with the Harbaughs, they have ‘em both. They know how to do ‘em both and they do ‘em very well. They’re great with people. As a player you appreciate that. You appreciate when a coach can get on you, and also when a coach can pat you on the back and tell you that you did a good job, as well.
“He’s a good damn football coach that can motivate players, motivate people, but also teach them.”
Odell Beckham Jr. was out of soccer when somebody from the Giants reached out to him for an opinion on Harbaugh, whom Beckham performed for in Baltimore in 2023.
“This is a man of God. This is a leader of men. And truly, from a football aspect, in those meetings, how attentive he was and those little things that come up in the game that sometimes you have to take for granted, he’s very much on it. And he leads in a very good way,” Beckham mentioned.
“And he just was one of my favorite coaches that I ever had. So, I spoke very highly of him when they asked me about who should be here.
“And I believe they got just the right man for the job, someone who could actually change the culture — or at least start it in the right direction.”
“Leadership, wisdom, relationship building. It’s all off the charts.”
— — OLB coach Charlie Bullen
Patrick Ricard spent 9 seasons taking part in for Harbaugh in Baltimore. As a free agent, the 300-pound fullback by no means hesitated in regards to the concept of signing with the Giants and reunite with Harbaugh.
“I’m just very grateful for Coach Harbaugh. I mean, he’s been in my corner my whole career. He’s believed in me. And as soon as I saw he got the job here, I was definitely interested,” Ricard mentioned. “I even told him, like, look, if you were coaching a Pop Warner football team, I’m interested. I’m there doing something. I don’t even know if I’m like the water boy, you know what I’m saying?
“So, like as soon as he was interested in me coming here, I was all in.”
Ricard is aware of what to anticipate from Harbaugh. He additionally is aware of his function in serving to gamers new to the Harbaugh Expertise perceive it.
“He’s going to bring just that culture that he had in Baltimore in terms of being together, playing together, going through the adversities that a season brings, just being all the things that you want to see in a football team, smart, physical, disciplined, and I think that he’s done it for 19 years,” Ricard mentioned. “He’s going to continue to bring it here, and I’m happy to be one of the players that’s going to kind of just kind of show the guys what he wants, what he expects out of us.
“I think that’s the biggest thing is he’s a great leader. He understands how to bring a group of men and make them one. And I think that’s the biggest thing is that we can all understand that he is our leader, and as long as we do right by him, we’ll be all right.”
John Harbaugh speaks to media. Getty Pictures
‘Great to see him re-energized’
Regardless of Harbaugh’s boundless enthusiasm, it could solely be human if he wasn’t fairly as excited on the finish of his 18-year tenure with the Ravens as he had been earlier. After 18 years of doing something in the identical place, it might’t be as recent because it was within the early days.
“I had a lot of energy in Baltimore,” mentioned Harbaugh, who turns 64 in September. “I’ve always had a lot of energy because I just did. I mean, I was just like, it’s just consumed with whatever I’m doing. But the idea, the energy sharing is a two-way street.”
Possibly Baltimore wasn’t enthusiastic about being coached by Harbaugh the final couple of years because it had been beforehand. The Ravens bought off to an uncharacteristic 1-5 begin in 2025 earlier than rallying to achieve 8-9 and fall a missed Tyler Loop discipline aim in need of making the playoffs.
Ravens possession thought it was time each the crew and Harbaugh bought a recent begin.
Taggart believes the transfer to New York has performed Harbaugh some good.
“He’s John. He’s got a lot of energy. He’s very excited, and you see it every day. His message to the team has been awesome,” Taggart mentioned. “It’s been great to see our guys pick up on his message daily, and absorb it, and go out and try to deliver on how Coach Harbaugh wants things done.
“It’s been great to see him re-energized and really getting after it with the guys.
Giants special teams coach Chris Horton was with Harbaugh in Baltimore for 12 seasons. He saw “a little more juice” within the veteran coach when he addressed the Giants for the primary time.
“He’s about as authentic as they come,” Horton mentioned. “Did I see a little more juice, more pop? He’s excited. We’re excited. You know, we’re excited to be here. We’re the New York Football Giants. We’re all excited to be here.”
Harbaugh mentioned he feeds off what he will get from the gamers.
“These guys have given me a lot of energy because the way they come in every day and how into it they are, how fired up they are, how they’ll be in the locker room, and they’ll be in the locker room for hours after practice even debating something about some crazy thing about, like, which sport takes more athleticism. And they’re passionate about it. I’m like, really, that’s what you guys are talking about?,” Harbaugh mentioned.
“I’m just glad that they’re in there with each other, because that’s how you build a team and all that. So, I guess if you want to say energized, that’s a good word. I think it’s just a different thing than the last couple years.
“But, 18 years in Baltimore or even before that in Philly or wherever, it’s really not that different. Every team’s in a different place. Every group of players is in a different place.
“But I really like, I’m fired up about this particular time and place with these particular people right now because I just think that they’re so motivated. They’re so determined. It means so much to them every single day. That is fun for me. And it’s not just me. It’s fun for all the coaches. I think the coaches feed off the players, players off the coaches. There’s just a lot of good vibe.”
‘I think he’s a maniac’
Harbaugh can take a joke. A minimum of, he can play together with one. Giants’ edge defender Kayvon Thibodeaux peeled again that layer of Harbaugh’s persona throughout minicamp in June when he snuck into the coach’s press convention and requested “How do you feel about that defensive front?”
“How do I feel about the defensive front? The Thibodeaux guy has got me a little concerned back there. He looks shorter to me.”
Thibodeaux has already shaped a robust bond with Harbaugh.
“Coach Harbaugh, I think he’s a maniac. He’s obsessed,” Thibodeaux mentioned.
“He’s kind of like me. I call him a maniac guy when you ask him a question and he goes to answer it and then he gets that twitch. And that twitch is when they just go rogue and they just keep talking and talking and talking and that’s me,” Thibodeaux mentioned. “I kind of got that a little bit. And his first day, I noticed that in him. I’m like, yo, he reminds me of me a little bit. It’s similar. So, for me, I can tell he loves the sport and he’s going to give us our best opportunity.”
Thibodeaux is an clever particular person, and isn’t shy about telling you as a lot. Harbaugh says Thibodeaux, who likes to know the why of issues, asks extra questions than anybody.
“Whether it’s my head coach, whether it’s my mom, whether it’s the teacher, I want to know, and I’m going to believe you, but I’m also just curious,” Thibodeaux mentioned. “If you can explain it to me, that means you really know your s—-.”
In Harbaugh, Thibodeaux has discovered a coach who loves the questions. And, greater than that, loves it when gamers actually need the solutions.
Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Pictures
Keep in mind what Taggart mentioned about Harbaugh’s means to each inspire and educate. His reply relating to fielding questions from gamers reveals an excellent deal about why he can do each.
“It’s like, as a coach or even as a player, when someone asks you a question, don’t take it like you’re being questioned,” Harbaugh mentioned. “You take it from the standpoint of someone who’s asking you a question because they really want to know the answer. So, I’m assuming that you’re asking the question because you really want to know the answer. You want to understand something.”
From there, Harbaugh has no problem rolling up his sleeves and going to work to assist a participant. Keep in mind when he was keen to stroll Malik Nabers via the the reason why the Giants didn’t draft Caleb Downs?
“You got to dig into it. I mean, there’s a lot of layers. There’s layers to everything,” Harbaugh mentioned. “So nothing is too simple. Other than the fact that we’re all here to be our best. We can make that assumption, I hope.
“So it’s like from there, it’s like, well, how are we going to get there? And this is why we’re doing what we’re doing or whatever. And this is what would be up for discussion.And if it was, these would be the questions we’d be asking to try to have the best answer to. It’s like, OK, you really want to know? You really want to talk about this? Let’s dig in, man. Let’s talk about it.”
‘Love you hard … coach you harder’
“What you get from John is real. Talk to players, they appreciate that more than anything. They don’t get any BS. They’re not going to get any BS with John Harbaugh.”
— — Willie Taggart
Giants proper deal with Jermaine Eluemunor performed for Harbaugh in Baltimore in 2017 and 2018, when he was a participant making an attempt to make it within the NFL. Eleumunor mentioned Harbaugh is “the exact same” coach he was then.
“I feel like I’m back in Baltimore,” Eleumunor mentioned. “The workouts, the intensity, just the attention to detail. The way we get things done in the field, the reasons behind them. Also, the small things. And also just I’d say the things that you do in practice that really matter that is the difference between winning and losing in the league.”
That isn’t all Eluemunor, now a longtime starter in his tenth NFL season, appreciates about Harbaugh.
“Coach Harbs is the type of guy that’s going to love you hard, but he’s going to coach you harder,” Eluemunor mentioned. And like I mentioned, he’s going to carry you accountable for every part. He’s going to carry you to a sure commonplace and a sure expectation whenever you’re working towards on the market, the way in which you carry your self, the way in which you signify the franchise, and simply the way in which you might be as an individual. He desires nice gamers, however he additionally desires nice males and nice individuals, and he’s an enormous believer in that. I believe that’s one thing he’s performed an excellent job of all through his profession and the way lengthy I’ve identified him.”
Edmunds is new to the Harbaugh Expertise, however he feels Harbaugh’s need to actually get to know gamers.
“You can go to him, talk to him about whatever, and I think that’s the number one thing that’s sticking out right now,” Edmunds mentioned.
Harbaugh mentioned he feels a “responsibility” to assist gamers perceive the way to be their greatest.
“I come in with the assumption, I make the charitable or the gracious assumption that they want to be their very best, that they’re here to do their best, to be their best,” Harbaugh mentioned. “And if they are, then it’s kind of my responsibility to help transform their minds a little bit if needed towards what it takes, what it really takes. Because not everybody knows how hard it really is and what it’s really going to take.
“But once they do it and experience it, like probably Jermaine has over the course of his career now, like his thinking is transformed. You know, it’s like the biblical thing, the renewing of your mind. It’s a transformational process.
“I just think these guys are great. I mean, I love every one of them because they’ve done so much and given up so much to get where they’re at, to attain this level. Now, you know, my responsibility is to give them everything I’ve got to take it to the level that they dream of it being.
“And sometimes not everybody understands that. They’re not thinking that way. So, you try to transform their thinking in that way a little bit. And I think probably Jermaine is a great example of that kind of guy. I mean, he’s come a long way. He’s there now.
“The way he thinks is the way he should think.”
Can Harbaugh rework the Giants?
Former Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo used to remind media members that coaches aren’t miracle staff. Remodeling the Giants, who’ve had solely two successful seasons within the final 13, into constant winners received’t be simple.
It’s, although, the duty Harbaugh signed up for.
“I know the challenges. I understand the expectations. I know the fans are hungry for a winner,” Harbaugh mentioned at his introductory press convention. “We’re here with one mission, to earn the right to be called the world champions in New York.
“You go into every game planning to win that game. That’s that’s our expectation. That’s what we will be expecting, to do that, but we’ve got to earn the right to expect that by how we go to work and prepare and what kind of a team that we make ourselves into.”
A coaching camp that guarantees to be arduous is the subsequent step in that course of. Possibly the Harbaugh Expertise will in the future result in a parade down the Canyon of Heroes. Possibly it received’t. If it doesn’t, that actually received’t be for lack of effort.
One thing else that’s clear is that everybody touched by the Harbaugh Expertise will bear in mind it, and shall be impacted in not less than some small method.
