The New York Giants took the first shot, and their best shot, at landing John Harbaugh.
Now they’ll have to wait to find out if it was enough.
They met with the coveted former Baltimore Ravens coach at their facility in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Wednesday for his first in-person interview since his stunning firing from Baltimore last week. It was what the Giants hoped was the final piece in what has been an extensive courtship. And a team source told me they let Harbaugh know they are willing to offer “almost anything he wants” if he takes the job.
There was even some hope in the Giants organization that they’d be able to close the deal before Harbaugh visited with anybody else. However, the 62-year-old left without a deal on Wednesday evening and flew back home to the Baltimore area, where he reportedly will meet with a contingent from the Tennessee Titans at his home on Thursday. A source indicated to me that Harbaugh also “plans” to speak with officials from the Atlanta Falcons, too, though it’s unclear if any in-person meeting with them has been set up.
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Harbaugh’s choice to proceed talking to different groups isn’t essentially a foul signal for the Giants, based on the supply. After spending the final 18 years teaching in a single place, he apparently simply desires to take a number of days to contemplate his subsequent transfer. The expectation is that Harbaugh will decide by early subsequent week, if not sooner, although inevitably the timetable is totally as much as him.
The Giants definitely tried to go off another conferences for Harbaugh whereas that they had him at their workplace. They flew him to New Jersey on co-owner Steve Tisch’s personal aircraft on Wednesday morning, based on a supply, and spent greater than 5 hours assembly with him and touring the ability. Throughout his time there, he met with co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch, common supervisor Joe Schoen, and different members of the Giants entrance workplace. And he even met in individual with one of many Giants’ greatest promoting factors — promising younger quarterback Jaxson Dart.
This was the fruits of a pursuit that started, for the Giants, earlier than Harbaugh was even out there. That they had inner discussions about him quickly after they fired former coach Brian Daboll in November, based on a staff supply. And so they appeared satisfied that he would ultimately be out there even earlier than his Ravens misplaced their season finale to the Steelers and missed the playoffs, which led to the Ravens firing him the subsequent day.
As soon as Harbaugh was free, he rocketed to the highest of their checklist. However the Giants have been one in all 9 groups that sources informed me had contacted Harbaugh — together with a number of that also had a head coach employed on the time. Harbaugh has spoken to officers with a number of of these groups during the last 10 days, one supply informed me, together with a dialog with the Falcons’ new president of soccer, Matt Ryan, that the staff introduced as an interview final week.
Harbaugh has seemingly targeted his consideration on the Falcons, Titans and Giants, although a number of league sources consider the Miami Dolphins additionally stay a risk. A number of sources relayed to me the Titans are the most important “menace” to land Harbaugh, due to their draft capital, their cap house, and their spectacular younger quarterback, Cam Ward. One other supply cautioned that the Inexperienced Bay Packers could possibly be a “sturdy darkish horse” in the event that they’re unable to achieve a brand new contract settlement within the subsequent few days with their coach, Matt LaFleur.
In the meantime, the Giants, sensing a possibility to remake their franchise within the wake of a decade of principally shedding, have been “going for broke”, as one staff supply informed me, of their effort to persuade Harbaugh they’re the perfect franchise for him. Chris Mara, their senior personnel marketing consultant (and John Mara’s brother), made the trek right down to the Baltimore space final week to go to Harbaugh at his residence. John Mara, who has been present process common most cancers therapies, has spoken with Harbaugh by cellphone, too.
And Schoen has had a number of in depth conversations with Harbaugh, based on a supply, and has assured the coach that he’s keen to cede some energy over personnel choices if Harbaugh takes the job. It’s unclear if Harbaugh has requested for complete management, or if the Giants could be keen to provide that if he asks, however the Giants consider that Harbaugh feels snug with Schoen as his common supervisor.
The truth is, one supply acquainted with Harbaugh’s fascinated about the Giants informed me that to this point “it appears like an awesome match.”
The Giants, although, are leaving nothing to probability. On the staff’s request, Harbaugh has reportedly obtained cellphone calls from a number of distinguished Giants alumni, together with two-time Tremendous Bowl-winning coach Tom Coughlin and his two-time Tremendous Bowl MVP quarterback, Eli Manning. Just lately fired Giants coach Brian Daboll even referred to as Harbaugh and, a supply informed me, raved about his expertise within the group.
Brian Daboll has spoken extremely of the Giants in his coversations with John Harbaugh simply two months after getting fired by the franchise, a supply informed FOX Sports activities’ Ralph Vacchiano. (Todd Rosenberg/NFL)
The Giants have additionally let Harbaugh know that they’re keen to satisfy his asking worth (anticipated to be round $20 million per 12 months), shell out tens of millions extra for what they hope might be a prime teaching employees, and make no matter enhancements or additions he desires all through their program.
The supply believed Harbaugh’s requests to this point have been “vital,” however “don’t appear to be too in depth.”
“However he’s value it,” the supply informed me. “You don’t get a shot at a coach like this too typically. Typically you simply must do no matter it takes.”
Ralph Vacchiano is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports activities. He spent six years masking the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York, and earlier than that, 16 years masking the Giants and the NFL for the New York Each day Information. Observe him on Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.
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