John Harbaugh is set to become the 22nd head coach of the New York Giants. That puts him in charge of turning around one of the NFL's most illustrious franchises, and it's going to take a village.
Harbaugh has a lot of work to get a Giants club that has the second-worst record in football since 2023 (13-38) back on track. However, it all starts with ensuring he has a proper support system around him. He must build a strong staff, beginning with retaining New York's offensive line coach, Carmen Bricillo.
Bricillo's a holdover from the Brian Daboll era but has managed to stick around despite all the organizational turmoil this season. He's done a remarkable job with his position group since joining the Giants two years ago; it's imperative Harbaugh keeps him on board.
John Harbaugh must retain Giants OL coach Carmen Bricillo at all costs
Roughly a couple of weeks before Harbaugh was hired, Bricillo told reporters that he's under contract for 2026 and prepared to return to the G-Men. It's just a matter of how the organization chooses to proceed.
"I serve the pleasure of ownership, general manager and head coach," Bricillo said (h/t ESPN's Jordan Raanan). "If they want me here, they got me."
By all indications, electrifying young quarterback Jaxson Dart was the main reason Harbaugh came to the Giants. The former was also instrumental in the recruiting process. This makes Bricillo remaining in his role even more essential.
Keeping Dart upright should be priority No. 1 if he's the reason Harbaugh took the job, right? No one has proven more capable of fostering competent offensive line play in New York, let alone maximizing a unit that's plagued them, than Bricillo.
New York finished 10th and 18th in Pro Football Focus' team pass- and run-blocking grades ($), respectively, in 2025. They were 11th and 19th in ESPN's pass-block and run-block win-rate rankings. Giants fans know that's a night-and-day difference compared to their efforts up front, or lack thereof, over the past decade-plus.
It's not a coincidence that the Giants have seemingly solved their perpetual protection problems once Bricillo arrived. Everywhere he's gone since entering the NFL has been fruitful. Harbaugh shouldn't overlook the track record of success.
The New England Patriots were among the league's best offenses during Bricillo's three campaigns in Foxborough from 2019 to 2021. Moreover, he was the Las Vegas Raiders' offensive line coach when their former running back, Josh Jacobs, eclipsed 2,000 scrimmage yards in 2022.