The New York Giants are coming off a disappointing 2021 NFL season that ended with 4-13 record—resulting in a last-place finish in the NFC East. Now, the focus is on finding a new general manager and head coach after firing Joe Judge and the retirement of Dave Gettleman.
One option that some have brought up for the Giants to attempt to pursue is Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, who has coached at his alma mater since 2015. His lone NFL head coaching stint came with the San Francisco 49ers and resulted in a Super Bowl appearance.
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter made a recent appearance on Adam Schein on Mad Dog Sports Radio to discuss Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and mentioned it would take a “Godfather” offer for an NFL team to land him.
“Look, Jim Harbaugh is a tough guy to predict,” Schefter said to Schein. “And I don’t like absolutes at this time of the year because things change on a moment’s notice. But if you’re asking my opinion today … I would say he’s more likely than not to stay. Unless he gets an offer from an NFL team he can’t refuse. Now, is there going to be an NFL team out there that comes at him so hard with so much money with such a good situation? That they’re going to make it such that he can say no, and that could happen? It could, but I will say this to you, Adam. I was saying about a month ago, there was all sorts of scuttlebutt, and then I think it came out last week, some of the things I heard, and … I think he’s further down the line towards staying than he is leaving. But I also know that it could change like that. And he’s been linked to the Raiders. The Raiders season is still going on, Rich Bisaccia has done a great job, they’re in the playoffs, how is Mark Davis, the Raiders owner, gonna approach it after the season? We’ll see … (I think Harbaugh is)more inclined to stay at Michigan. Now again, that could change. But that’s why I say initially my impression is more likely than not to stay, though you never can rule out an NFL team giving him an offer that he can’t refuse and if that happens, anything’s possible.”
For Harbaugh, his Michigan Wolverines team is coming off an impressive season that ended in a No. 3 national ranking and a 34-11 loss to the eventual National Champion Georgia Bulldogs in the Orange Bowl. His program trending upward should be taken into consideration for any NFL team is thinking of making a pursuit of hiring him.
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It seems almost every NFL offseason there is speculation about the idea of Jim Harbaugh leaving Michigan to return to the professional level. He was recently asked about the rumors of him returning to the NFL and he jokingly said this year’s speculation is ‘a little more enjoyable’ than last year’s.
“It’s a little more enjoyable this year compared to the rumors last year, so,” Harbaugh said recently when asked about NFL rumors at the Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant Award media availability.
The speculation of a possible NFL return from Harbaugh was fueled by a recent report from 247 Sports stating that Harbaugh told a recruit that “he’ll entertain it” when asked if he’d consider taking an NFL coaching job.
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Something to take into consideration from the Giants’ perspective, Harbaugh reportedly did recently express interest in making a return to the NFL. It was reported on Jan. 4 by ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg, the Giants job “could have interested him if it was open.”
Whether it’s Jim Harbaugh or someone else, the New York Giants may have to get bold to get this next head coaching hire right. The NFC East is improving as a whole and some real change is needed to move up the standings, but it has to be the ‘right’ change, however.
