John Harbaugh is in East Rutherford, N.J. on Wednesday to discuss the New York Giants’ head coaching vacany, according to multiple reports.
Harbaugh, 180-113 (.614 winning percentage) with a Super Bowl title and 12 playoff appearances in 18 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, has been the object of the Giants’ desire since the Ravens fired him after missing the playoffs this season.
Wednesday’s visit with the Giants is Harbaugh’s first official in-person coaching interview. He has spoke with Atlanta Falcons President of Football Matt Ryan, and had lunch over the weekend with Chris Mara of the Giants.
The Falcons and Tennessee Titans are considered the Giants’ primary competition for the 63-year-old Harbaugh.
There was a report earlier on Wednesday that co-owner Steve Tisch’s private plane had departed from Baltimore. Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post said Harbaugh did fly into New Jersey on Tisch’s plane.
By interviewing Raheem Morris and Antonio Pierce in-person last week, the Giants satisfied Rooney Rule requirements and can hire Harbaugh or any coach now if they wish. Per NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the Giants are the only team in that position right now, and “There is a chance he does not leave the building.”
Ralph Vacciano of FOX Sports reported that Tisch, John and Chris Mara, and GM Joe Schoen are all expected to take part in the meeting.
Before the news that Harbaugh was in New Jersey broke, well-connected Athletic columnist Ian O’Connor had written this about the Giants’ pursuit of him for their coaching vacancy:
“Money won’t be issue between Giants & John Harbaugh … the face-to-face with Joe Schoen is big. All phone contact w/ Schoen & in-person w/ Chris Mara have been positive. But Harbaugh will need to connect with Schoen in person in their upcoming meeting and there has to be a sense of a potential partnership like the ones Harbaugh had with Ozzie Newsome and Eric DeCosta. Obviously, Harbaugh will need his share of personnel power. He’s earned that. And the Giants have to figure out what happens if the coach and Schoen disagree on the fifth pick in the draft. This is where the drafting of Dart might help the GM. Daboll wanted Dart more than Schoen did, but Joe listened to his coach and moved up to get the QB. If he listened to Daboll, he sure as hell should listen to Harbaugh. But again, so far so good. Schoen has laid out the whole Giants program to Harbaugh, including analytics, training & medical, etc. … But Schoen-Harbaugh, face to face, could be the difference, along with Mara willingness to make the Giants a bit more of a coach-driven franchise, a la Mike Vrabel-Eliot Wolf in New England. Stay tuned.”
The Giants, and their fans, can only hope things go well and that Harbaugh doesn’t get out of New Jersey without a contract to be the team’s next coach.
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