The New York Giants landed the former Baltimore Ravens HC and Super Bowl champion John Harbaugh as the franchise head coach. Since then, expectations from fans and the organization are higher, as having three coaches in five years is not a flex.
John Harbaugh Reacts to President Donald Trump’s Endorsement for the HC Job
On Tuesday, Jan. 20, Harbaugh officially addressed the NFL media as the Giants’ new HC, discussing a range of topics. He has sent a strong message about Jaxson Dart and also discussed securing an endorsement from the President of the United States, Donald Trump.
Harbaugh was asked about Donald Trump publicly endorsing him for the New York Giants head coaching job. Harbaugh responded half-seriously, half-jokingly. “It feels really great, and I’ll tell you, I also noticed on that post he said take the job, so I thought John Mara might’ve had something to do with that,” Harbaugh said. “So, I don’t know, but it’s cool, and it’s sports, you know, it’s sports.
Harbaugh cracked a joke that maybe Giants owner John Mara was behind Trump’s comments, implying some behind-the-scenes humor or coincidence. “And everybody’s excited, everybody follows it. At every level, people follow football, they follow the Giants, they follow the National Football League. Like we said, it’s the biggest sport, you know? And this is, it’s the most iconic franchise in the biggest sport, so here we are,” Harbaugh added.
John Harbaugh asked about Trump endorsing him for the #Giants job, notes the president also suggested he take it, jokes maybe John Mara had something to do with that. “It feels really great. … It’s the most iconic franchise in the biggest sport so here we are.” pic.twitter.com/Acbv7F5uaO
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 20, 2026
Trump publicly threw his support behind John Harbaugh as a head coaching candidate immediately after Harbaugh was fired by the Ravens on Jan. 6. A day later, Trump used Truth Social to aggressively endorse Harbaugh. His message to the Giants organization was, “Hire John Harbaugh, fast.” He praised both John and his brother Jim Harbaugh, saying, “He and his brother are total winners!!!”
Trump doubled down on Jan. 10 by specifically tying Harbaugh to the New York Giants’ head coaching vacancy, explicitly stating that the Giants should hire him and encouraging Harbaugh to accept the job. “The New York Football Giants should hire, without question, John Harbaugh – And John, a great guy, should TAKE THE JOB!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The posts framed Harbaugh as the obvious choice for a struggling franchise and positioned Trump as an outspoken advocate in the NFL coaching carousel.
And after the President attended the CFP National championship between the Indiana Hoosiers and Miami Hurricanes, Trump was asked about Harbaugh. “And he’s a great coach, and he’s gonna do well with the Giants, just like his brother does so well. They got something very special in their blood. And I’m happy for the Giants. They got a great coach,” Trump added. This simply means the Harbaugh family and Trump have strong ties.
Giants’ New HC Sends Strong Message To QB Jaxson Dart
Earlier, when the HC hire was announced, the only rumor swirling around the Giants and their QB room was that they were hiring a rookie QB. The Giants have the fifth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Steelers will host the draft for the first time since 1948. The opening round is scheduled for April 23, followed by Rounds 2 and 3 on April 24, with Rounds 4 through 7 wrapping things up on April 25.
But Harbaugh’s message for the sophomore QB of the Giants grabbed attention in the presser and temporarily shut down rookie QB rumors.
“I’m excited about Jaxson Dart, Harbaugh said when asked about the QB. I’ve seen your backup quarterback, too, Jameis Winston. … It starts with the quarterback. You build your team around your quarterback. You build your team around your players and what they do well.” Also added, “I like the way he plays. I like his talent, skillset, and all the things he’s accomplished. But, more than that, I like who he is and what he’s about. To me, he is about football.”
And addressing how he plans to approach the Giants’ 2026 season, Harbaugh said the focus will be on building a physical, tough team capable of overwhelming opponents from start to finish, especially late in games. He emphasized playing smart, disciplined football the right way, which is something both players and fans can take pride in.
Overall, the Giants’ organization and fans want a winning season. One fan has reacted to Harbaugh’s press conference, saying, “Win 9 games, and my life is yours.” So, the minimum expectations from Harbaugh will be to have a winning 2026 NFL season and enter the playoffs.
