Today marks the 10-day anniversary of the New York Giants finally becoming a relevant franchise again. It's about time.
Even though it's only been 10 days, it feels like a lifetime ago that the G-Men were interviewing guys like Kevin Stefanski, Mike McCarthy, Vance Joseph, and Raheem Morris for their head coaching vacancy. Crazy how time flies when you're having fun.
And isn’t that the best part about Big Blue hiring John Harbaugh? Fun is so back. Kudos to general manager Joe Schoen for doing everything in his power to bring in the best candidate of the coaching cycle. It wouldn’t have been an overreaction to say the fate of Big Blue Nation’s sanity depended on it.
Since it's such a joyous occasion, what better way to celebrate Harby's first 10 days as New York's HC than gushing over all he's accomplished in his very short time in North Jersey?
Ranking John Harbaugh's 10 best decisions since joining the Giants
10. Buying what the Giants were selling
This might feel like a cop-out, but it's actually one of the most important decisions he's made. Had Harbs not bought into what Schoen was selling, this thing would have been over a long time ago. Fortunately, Jaxson Dart and Co. were enough to nudge the 63-year-old in the right direction.
9. Signing DeMarvin Leal to a futures contract
This is kind of on here by default, but it's a decision Harbs made, no less. While free agency won't start for another couple of weeks, teams can still sign players from other teams' practice squads to futures contracts.
Harbaugh saw value in 2022 third-round pick DeMarvin Leal, who now has an entire offseason to convince the new HC to keep him on the 53-man roster.
8. Planting the OC seed with Todd Monken
No, he hasn't officially signed anything yet, but just the fact that Harbs all but told Monken the open OC job is his if he wants it is good enough for a spot on this list. Think of this as mind games. Monken is the perfect option for the Giants' vacancy.
The former Ravens offensive coordinator is currently held up in the Cleveland Browns HC search, but reports suggest that once that process is over, he's on the first flight to New York. Seed, meet plant.
7. Ensuring the linebackers eat their Pees
Matt Pees is the son of former NFL defensive coordinator and Ravens senior consultant Dean Pees. He joined Baltimore's staff last season as the assistant linebackers coach after stints with the Bears, Falcons, and Titans.
With all the LB trouble the G-Men have had over the past couple of seasons, bringing in a fast-rising linebackers coach like Pees is just what the doctor ordered. Not only has he picked up some coaching hacks from his dad, but he's also worked under Mike Vrabel and obviously Harbaugh.
6. Moving on from Michael Ghobrial
Sometimes, the best way to add is to subtract. And unfortunately for Michael Ghobrial, he falls into the addition by subtraction bucket. The Giants' special teams unit has been a mess for years. Ghobrial was hired in 2024 to turn things around, but he did anything but, with kicking woes, punting struggles, and return coverages falling apart weekly.
Seeing as though Harbaugh is a special teams guy, it was tough to envision a scenario where the 37-year-old was kept. Maybe now the special teams unit will be more reliable. Wouldn't that be nice?
5. Keeping Charlie Bullen on the staff
Once outside linebackers coach Charlie Bullen took over for Shane Bowen as the interim DC, it was pretty clear that he was a darn good coach. Not only did he get a career year out of Brian Burns, but he was able to salvage Abdul Carter's underwhelming rookie year with a late-season surge, showcasing the dominance that made him the third overall pick in the 2025 Draft.
Bullen had such an impact on Carter that he publicly vouched for him after the season ended. However, it felt dicey for a while. The 41-year-old was rumored to be a hot commodity, but fortunately, the football gods kept him in East Rutherford, where he'll join forces with DC Dennard Wilson to get the most out of this talented defense (we'll get to him later).
4. Bringing in Willie Taggart
No matter how you slice it, Willie Taggart was a home-run hire for Harbaugh’s Giants. He was practically family -- coached by John's dad, Jack, at Western Kentucky, coached under John's brother, Jim, at Stanford, and hired by John in Baltimore -- talk about the Harbaugh way.
More than that, Taggart helped keep Baltimore’s run game elite during Derrick Henry’s stretch of unfathomable dominance, and with 13 years of head coaching experience under his belt, he'll bring leadership, credibility, and serious player development chops to a fast-rising offensive group.
3. Hiring special teams coordinator Chris Horton
Giants fans can't really overstate how awesome it is that Chris Horton is the team's new special teams coordinator. For years, this team has avoided that unit like the plague, and it has come back to bite them every single time. Horton's a well-respected coach who should help clean up a lot of the mistakes Big Blue Nation has come to expect on a weekly basis.
2. Hiring defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson
Wilson made perfect sense for Harbaugh’s Giants. He’d already proven himself in Baltimore as the DBs coach, then elevated Tennessee’s defense to elite status in his first year calling plays.
With a reputation for molding secondaries into top-tier units and a defensive style built to frustrate quarterbacks, Wilson brings instant credibility and a clear identity to a Giants defense that desperately needs both. There's some real star power on that side of the ball, and I just know the 43-year-old is the one to unleash it.
1. Getting final say over roster construction and staff decisions
This is number one for a very specific reason: without Harbaugh demanding final say over team decisions, there's a strong chance that a lot of these other great decisions don't happen. Free agency hasn't even begun yet, but excitement is at an all-time high.
It's clear this franchise is moving in the right direction, and that's in large part thanks to Harby and his contractual demands before accepting the offer.