On Tuesday, the New York Giants introduced their new head coach, John Harbaugh, to the New York media.
The Giants hired Harbaugh after being fired by the Ravens after coaching 18 seasons with Baltimore.
The 63-year-old, who won a Super Bowl with the Ravens in 2012, discussed what he’s looking to build in New York.
“Our focus is simple, it starts with building a team that is physical and tough, that’s capable of overwhelming their opponent from beginning to end, and especially at the end, that understands how to finish, that is smart and disciplined, that plays the game the way it should be played, and that everybody watching it, including those playing it, would be proud of,” Harbaugh said. “We’re going to work together. We have great and talented people to accomplish a shared mission. There will be a relentless commitment to this organization, to this city, and the fans to do things the right way every single day. Nothing will be taken for granted. It will always, always be all about the team.”
Fortunately for Harbaugh, he has a young quarterback in Jaxson Dart, who appears to have a lot of potential, which excites him.
“I’m excited about Jaxson Dart,” Harbaugh said. “You build your team around your quarterback. You build your team around your players and what they do well. I like the way he plays. I like his talent, skill set, all the things he’s accomplished, but more than that, I like who he is and what he’s about. To me, he’s about football. This young guy loves football. He wants to talk football all the time, and that’s kind of what I like doing too. So, I think we’re going to have a lot of great conversations. I can’t wait to get started with him.”
Unlike previous Giants head coaches, Harbaugh will share power with GM Joe Schoen, so he will not report to Schoen but to ownership. However, Harbaugh believes reporting directly to ownership doesn’t change much.
“To me, it’s really not that important in the big picture, in the big scheme of things,” he said. “I think it’s kind of overblown just a little bit in terms of how it works. But the main thing is that it works and that we work together. That’s what matters. That’s kind of what I was used to, and it felt like a good way to kind of start off. I think Mr. Mara was happy about that. It seemed like it made sense. I’m just happy, but I don’t think it really matters. I think we’re all going to work together. I promise you, we all report to the boss, right, and the boss is ownership.”
The Giants have struggled over the years, and the franchise needed a jolt. Maybe Harbaugh can and will be the man to do it.
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