It's official! Giants hire John Harbaugh as their new coach

After days of negotiations, the Giants and John Harbaugh completed their agreement on Saturday to make him the team’s next coach.

Harbaugh, 63, signed a five-year contract that made him the 21st coach in franchise history. Financial details of the contract were not released.

He already was among the NFL’s highest-paid coaches, with Sportico reporting that his $17 million salary this season was third-highest among coaches.

The Giants will formally introduce Harbaugh on Tuesday during a noon news conference.

“I want to thank John Mara, Steve Tisch, Chris Mara and Joe Schoen for the opportunity to lead the New York Giants,” Harbaugh said in a statement. “To serve as this franchise’s head coach is a tremendous honor. I come from a football family, and I have deep respect for the history and tradition of this organization.”

How Harbaugh works with general manager Schoen, currently on the last year of his contract, will be scrutinized. The Athletic reported that Harbaugh will report to president/CEO John Mara instead of Schoen, which differs from the way the organization typically handles the chain of command.

It begins a new era for the Giants and Harbaugh, who has a career record of 180-113 and a Super Bowl title. He will try to elevate a franchise that has underperformed during the last 10 years. Since Tom Coughlin and the Giants parted ways in January 2016, the team is 55-109-1, the second-worst NFL record over that span, better than only the Jets (49-116).

The Harbaugh era starts now pic.twitter.com/Ecak10hpS0

— New York Giants (@Giants) January 17, 2026

Welcome to Big Blue, Coach Harbaugh pic.twitter.com/Uoa0ds0rdp

— New York Giants (@Giants) January 17, 2026

The Giants hired and fired four coaches, including three first-time coaches, during that span. Brian Daboll was fired in November. The Giants have lost at least 10 games eight times in the last nine seasons.

Harbaugh aims to change that. In 18 seasons with the Ravens, he had only three losing seasons and won a Super Bowl in the 2012 season. The Ravens made the playoffs 12 times, won six division titles and went to the AFC Championship Game four times.

“Through numerous conversations, John consistently stood out for his conviction and vision for leading a winning organization, and we welcome him and his family to the Giants,” John Mara said in a statement.

The Giants extended their interview with Harbaugh on Wednesday well into the evening after having dinner at Elia Mediterranean in New Jersey. Harbaugh canceled Thursday’s scheduled meeting with the Titans, and he and the Giants began to work out the details to make his hiring official.

The Giants expect immediate change after the worst two-year span in franchise history — 7-27 since the start of the 2024 season. In their last 29 games, the Giants are 5-24, tied with the Titans and Raiders for the NFL’s worst mark in that stretch.

How Harbaugh fixes things is critical. Jaxson Dart heads into his second season after a promising rookie campaign that hinted at his being the Giants’ quarterback of the future. Receiver Malik Nabers goes into Year 3 looking to reclaim his rookie year heights after a season-ending ACL injury.

Abdul Carter is coming off a strong rookie season, and the linebacker has said and done the right things since his second benching for violating team rules. Fellow linebacker Brian Burns had an All-Pro season with a career-high 16.5 sacks and defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence hopes to return to his dominant form.

All of this and more hinges on what Harbaugh does between now and training camp in July.

“I’m excited to begin assembling our staff and getting to work building our team,” he said. “I would like to sincerely thank Steve Bisciotti and the Baltimore Ravens organization for 18 remarkable years, including the opportunity to become a head coach in the National Football League.”

Harbaugh’s first task is to assemble a staff. Todd Monken is a favorite to join Harbaugh after being his offensive coordinator the past three seasons with the Ravens. However, the interview process for coordinators must honor the Rooney Rule by meeting with two non-white or female candidates.

Next comes personnel. The Giants own the No. 5 pick in the NFL Draft. They also must decide, among other things, whether to bring back receiver Wan’Dale Robinson, right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor and cornerback Cor’Dale Flott, all of whom are free agents. The Giants need depth at receiver, interior offensive line and cornerback.

It’s all part of the process as Harbaugh sets up shop at 1925 Giants Drive. Their hope is that he can deliver on the high expectations for a Giants franchise that has struggled for years. 

“[Harbaugh] has a strong track record of developing players, building cohesive staffs and setting a clear standard of accountability,” Schoen said in a statement. “We are excited to work with John in moving this team in the right direction.”