Insider opens up on John Harbaugh Giants job drama

The New York Giants hired John Harbaugh as their new head coach to replace Brian Daboll. It’s a move the franchise hopes brings stability to a team that’s been lacking it for several years. However, it appears the hiring process wasn’t all sunshine and daisies, as reports claim there was some drama in the final minutes of the hiring announcement.

In the latest episode of “Scoop City,” NFL Insider Ian O’Connor of The Athletic explained how there was a moment in the three days after Harbaugh met with the organization, that he and his agent believed that the agreement to be the Giants’ head coach was going to fall through. Harbaugh’s agent was even on the phone with the Tennessee Titans, telling them there was a solid chance he was still available.

“Giants fans really had no idea how close it came to not happening on that Saturday, January 17th, when, after Wednesday night, the meeting all day, meetings in East Rutherford, New Jersey, they agreed to get married,” said O’Connor. They got engaged Wednesday evening, and everybody thought the marriage would be pretty smooth.

“Well, those three days it got dicey, and then Saturday morning, John Harbaugh’s agent, Brian Harland, is talking to the Titans like, ‘You got to hang in there because this Giants thing might not work out.’ So John Mara finally, at the end of the day Saturday afternoon around 3:00, 3:15 Eastern Time decided for the first time in the history of the organization they’d allow a head coach to report directly to ownership, and that’s what got the deal done.”

That lines up with the timeline, as the Titans were literally about to fly to John Harbaugh to meet with him about potentially becoming the new head coach. That flight and meeting were canceled, though, as the 63-year-old coach accepted the job with the Giants.

Harbaugh has 18 years of head coaching experience, all with the Baltimore Ravens. He led the franchise to a Super Bowl win in 2012, defeating the San Francisco 49ers, who were coached by his brother Jim Harbaugh, 34-31.