Now that John Harbaugh's first press conference as the head coach of the New York Giants is in the books and all went great, the attention is shifting towards what his coaching staff will look like. He revealed the Giants are finally starting the interview process, which means more news will follow.
The Giants are still expected to bring over several ex-Harbaugh assistants from Baltimore, including Todd Monken as OC, but we don't know much else. However, we finally have some answers, as it was revealed that longtime college coach Dave Clawson could be joining the revamped coaching staff.
Been hearing former Fordham and Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson's name as someone who could have a role on John Harbaugh's staff with the Giants, per sources. Perhaps in a senior offensive assistant role.
— Art Stapleton (@art_stapleton) January 20, 2026
Clawson has been around the block as a college football head coach, but most recently coached at Wake Forest before resigning after the 2024 season. Art Stapleton's report also revealed that the 58-year-old could serve in a senior offensive assistant role on Harbaugh's first coaching staff.
Ex-Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson is expected to have a role on John Harbaugh's coaching staff
Across 11 seasons coaching the Demon Deacons, Clawson compiled a 67-69 record, but Wake Forest went 4-8 in each of his final two seasons. He led them to six bowl games, which isn't too shabby, but his successor, Jake Dickert, led them to a 9-4 record in his first season at the helm.
Clawson also coached at Bowling Green, Richmond, and Fordham, and spent one rough season as the OC at Tennessee, so he's got plenty of experience. However, he left the college ranks due to the growing prevalence of NIL and the transfer portal, something he won't have to worry about in the NFL.
Clawson is a New York native and got his start as a coach in the Empire State, so it's not overly surprising he'd want to return. His first two coaching stops were at Albany and Buffalo, and returned to become the Fordham coach after a successful stint calling plays at Villanova in the late 90s.
The Giants are no strangers to hiring cast-off college coaches, and Clawson could only be the latest example. Both Jeremy Pruitt and Bret Bielema were on Joe Judge's coaching staff, but only for a season, as Pruitt hasn't coached since, and Bielema accepted the head coaching position at Illinois.
The G-Men are evidently trying to surround Jaxson Dart with an experienced offensive coaching staff, with people like Monken and Clawson set to work with him. This is a really young Giants' offense, so Harbaugh knows he needs someone that his guys will respond to to keep them in check.