Apparently, the latest New York Giants trend is invoking Tom Coughlin’s name when discussing John Harbaugh.
The Coughlin references began taking off earlier this month, when Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart revealed that Harbaugh arrives at the Giants’ training facility at 4:30 a.m. to work out.
Coughlin, a two-time Super Bowl champion, did something similar throughout his decade-plus with the Giants. The Athletic’s Mike Sando went one step further on Wednesday, calling the Giants’ decision to hire Harbaugh his favorite move the team made this offseason.
Sando pointed out that, outside of Pat Shurmur, the Giants have only hired first-time head coaches since parting ways with Coughlin following the 2015 season.
“Harbaugh fits the Coughlin mold as a second-time head coach coming off a successful run elsewhere,” Sando wrote.
Harbaugh reached the postseason 12 times in 18 seasons with the Ravens, including a Super Bowl XLVII victory over his brother, Jim, and the 49ers. Although Coughlin didn’t have the same sustained success in eight seasons with the Jaguars, he nonetheless led them to two AFC Championship Game appearances in the franchise’s first five years.
Jacksonville reached the playoffs four times under Coughlin, but has only had five playoff berths since his departure after the 2002 season.
“Whether he raises the Giants’ ceiling, and by how much, remains to be seen,” Sando wrote of Harbaugh. “But the floor should rise, at the very least, now that an experienced coach is in control.”
Giants fans should love the early John Harbaugh-Tom Coughlin comparisons
Seeing as the Giants own just two winning seasons since the start of 2013, they’d be wise to take any sort of progress that Harbaugh can provide. Harbaugh has certainly brought in those familiar with winning, and we’re not solely talking about the new-look roster.
Several of Harbaugh’s former Ravens players followed him to New York, as did 14 assistant coaches. Veteran receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who played for Harbaugh in 2023, could potentially join the list within the coming weeks.
Fittingly, Beckham played his first two seasons for Coughlin.
Harbaugh’s track record is extensive enough that invoking Coughlin’s name isn’t absurd or disrespectful to either party. Sando is correct that the Giants took too many chances with successful coordinators who had never previously been head coaches.
Joe Judge was hopelessly outmatched, and Ben McAdoo was seemingly destined for failure after his introductory press conference. At least McAdoo made it to the playoffs that season.
Brian Daboll could very well be another talented coach who is best suited for coordinator duties, and that’s not a bad thing. Look how successful Josh McDaniels has been in New England, even without Tom Brady.
Harbaugh, however, is one of the most accomplished head coaches of this generation.
The early reviews on the Harbaugh era have been positive, especially with how he’s handled some off-field controversies.
Next up is doing what Coughlin did so well: positioning the Giants to always be in the playoff hunt, even if they’re not the NFC East’s most talented team.
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