John Harbaugh and Kevin Stefanski are the hottest names in the NFL head coaching market after each of them was fired by their respective teams.
One of the most interesting job openings in the NFL is the New York Giants, who are seeking a coach to finally turn the franchise around. Eli Manning gave his thoughts on Harbaugh and Stefanski as candidates for the Giants’ job.
Eli Manning Speaks Highly of John Harbaugh and Kevin Stefanski
Manning was interviewed about sports media and the ManningCast specifically, but one question he was asked was, “Any thoughts on who you want to see coaching your Giants?” Manning gave the following response:
“Obviously, there’s a lot of open spots this year and coaches available. It’s always an important decision. There’s a couple of big names. You have a John Harbaugh out there. He had an 18-year career in one spot. He’s going to be on everybody’s list. He’s going to be in demand just because of that consistency he’s had his entire career.
“I know Kevin Stefanski was there the other day. He’s had good years in Cleveland. He seems like a good coach and person. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out.”
Harbaugh was previously the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens for the past 18 years. Over that time, he went 180-113 in the regular season and 13-11 in the NFL playoffs. In 2012, the team went 10-6 in the regular season and won the Super Bowl by going a perfect 4-0 in the 2012 playoffs. He also won the NFL AP Coach of the Year in 2019 after the Ravens went 14-2.
Stefanski was previously the head coach of the Cleveland Browns, spending six years with the organization. Despite having seasons of 11-5 in 2020 and 11-6 in 2023, the Browns had a losing season every other year, ultimately going 45-56 in Stefanski’s tenure. In the playoffs, he has a record of 1-2. He won the NFL AP Coach of the Year twice, in 2020 and 2023.
Both are offensive-minded coaches who would be good fits for the Giants, especially with the team’s youth movement of Malik Nabers, Jaxson Dart, and Cam Skattebo. In PFSN’s NFL Offensive Impact Metric, the Giants ranked 24th in the league with an impact score of 70.7, equating to a letter grade of C-.
Despite the attractiveness of the Giants’ job, it’ll still be hard to compete in the NFC East division. The Philadelphia Eagles currently lead the division, but the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders are also competitive. Regardless, these are two candidates who have the potential to offer the organization long-term stability in the head coach role.
