With ten head coaching vacancies in the NFL in the 2026 offseason, there’s been a lot of movement in this year’s coaching carousel. Among those fired or stepping away from their duties are two coaches with Super Bowl victories, a two-time Coach of the Year, and another coach who’s been to the playoffs seven years in a row.
Which new hires are the best, though? Are there any that teams should be wary of? PFSN evaluates and grades every new NFL head coaching hire made in 2026.
Arizona Cardinals: Mike LaFleur
The Arizona Cardinals are hiring Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur to become their next head coach, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Sunday.
LaFleur, 38, has served as the OC in Los Angeles over the last three seasons. He marked the fourth of Sean McVay’s offensive coordinators with the Rams to get a head coaching job elsewhere in the NFL.
The younger brother of Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, Mike LaFleur’s hire means that there are now two sibling duos in NFL head coaching roles, with John and Jim Harbaugh also fitting the criteria. It’s believed to be the first time in league history that has been the case.
Grading the Mike LaFleur Hire
The success the Rams have had on offense with LaFleur as their offensive coordinator is obvious. In terms of PFSN’s Offense Impact Score, they finished first in the NFL by a considerable margin at 92.3. They were the No. 13 team by the metric in 2024, as well as seventh in 2023.
LaFleur has learned under some of the best coaches in the game. His tenure in Los Angeles speaks for itself. He was the passing game coordinator for the 49ers from 2017 to 2020, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Kyle Shanahan and Mike McDaniel.
Coming out of 2025, the Cardinals find themselves with a bit of an identity crisis. Under former head coach Jonathan Gannon, they went 3-14 this past season. Most notably, they went 2-8 in one-score games. They have enough talent on their roster to be competitive, but their inability to finish in the clutch doomed them this season.
Arizona will need to figure out its quarterback position, as Kyler Murray got benched midway through the season. Jacoby Brissett feels like a good choice to return as their stopgap starter, but the offense will eventually need to find a long-term option at the most important position in football.
Still, the Cardinals have some talented pieces on the roster. Trey McBride, Michael Wilson, and Marvin Harrison Jr. are strong weapons in the passing game, and they have other players like Paris Johnson Jr., Josh Sweat, Budda Baker, Will Johnson, and Walter Nolen to give them some firepower.
The reason for concern is that LaFleur is not only a first-time NFL head coach but also unproven as an offensive playcaller. McVay has handled offensive play-calling duties for much of his time as the Rams’ head coach, with LaFleur managing the plays for just three games in his three seasons as their OC.
LaFleur is a pretty big gamble given how unproven he is, but he comes from arguably the most influential coaching tree in the NFL right now. The success that Matt LaFleur and Kevin O’Connell have had as head coaches, despite sitting in similar roles as OCs without play-calling responsibilities, bodes well for Arizona’s new head coach.
Grade: B
Las Vegas Raiders: Klint Kubiak
The Las Vegas Raiders are expected to hire Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak as their new head coach, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported on Sunday.
Kubiak, 38, would have to wait until the end of the Super Bowl to make the hire official, as Seattle still has to play the Patriots on Feb. 8. That said, the offensive mind is expected to head to Las Vegas.
This impending hire is of particular interest, as the Raiders have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. With the anticipation that they’ll select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the pick, their head coaching hire was crucial to get the best out of their presumed franchise quarterback.
Grading the Klint Kubiak Hire
The son of longtime NFL head coach and Super Bowl winner Gary Kubiak, Klint Kubiak has been an offensive coordinator in the league each of the last two seasons. He spent 2024 as the OC for the New Orleans Saints, moving to Seattle at the end of the year with the Saints’ decision to fire then-head coach Dennis Allen.
In addition to the past two seasons, he was also the OC for the Minnesota Vikings in 2021, replacing his father in the role. He was not retained once the Vikings fired then-head coach Mike Zimmer.
The Seahawks had the ninth-best PFSN Offense Impact Score at 79.8 in 2025 with Kubiak calling the plays. In the regular season, Sam Darnold surpassed 4,000 passing yards, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba led the league with 1,793 receiving yards. Strong rushing performances from Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet added to the mix, as well.
Counting interim coaches, the Raiders will have had six head coaches over the last six seasons by the end of 2026. They’ve been in desperate need of some stability, though the chance to finally get a long-term answer at quarterback should help.
Kubiak will be inheriting a Las Vegas offense presumably led by Mendoza, featuring the likes of Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty as offensive weapons, as well. That in itself gives him an incredible core of skill position players to work with.
The rest of the Raiders’ roster is a work in progress. Their defense has several needs at each level of the field, and their offense could use some boosts to the trenches, as well. It could also benefit them to push for a bona fide No. 1 wide receiver.
Kubiak has his work cut out for him in Las Vegas, because not only is the roster a work in progress, but the AFC West is one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL. Maneuvering those factors as a first-time head coach could be difficult, but that’s hardly to say it’s impossible that he steers them in the right direction.
If the Raiders are patient with his development, Kubiak should be just fine there. The first year or two could be ugly, but he has an offense that has some tantalizing young prospects, as well as the backing of Tom Brady within the organization. This could end up being a productive partnership, but it might take a while.
Grade: B+
Cleveland Browns: Todd Monken
The Cleveland Browns have hired Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken to become their new head coach, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Wednesday.
Monken, who turns 60 in February, will be one of the oldest first-time head coaches in NFL history. He’s spent the last three seasons in Baltimore calling plays for the offense, helping lead Lamar Jackson to an MVP and two first-team All-Pro appearances.
The Ravens’ offense took a big step back in 2025, with Jackson missing four games and playing hurt through a couple others. That said, they had the second-best score by PFSN’s Offense Impact Metric in 2024 and ranked sixth in 2023.
Grading the Todd Monken Hire
Cleveland has been brutal the last two seasons, but 2025 showed plenty of promise for its future. They nailed their selections in last year’s draft, particularly giving their offense some young talents like Shedeur Sanders, Quinshon Judkins, Harold Fannin Jr., and undrafted free agent Isaiah Bond.
That class should be intriguing to Monken, regardless of whether or not he keeps calling plays at his new gig. The offense is still a massive work in progress, and Sanders had a rocky rookie season, but there’s enough upside on that unit to be excited about. Cleveland has two first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, too.
ESPN Sources: the Cleveland Browns are hiring former Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken as their next head coach. pic.twitter.com/zyTpFKSuJf
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 28, 2026
As far as the Browns go, one could argue it’s a step down in terms of accolades to go from former head coach Kevin Stefanski to Monken. That said, it became increasingly clear that the fit with Stefanski wasn’t going to lead to any success any time soon.
Monken will be responsible for turning the Browns’ offense around and further developing the young skill-position players on their roster. Their personnel is a far cry from what he had to work with as offensive coordinator of the Ravens, at least in the short term. Expect an offensive-minded approach in the upcoming draft.
One curious development from the Monken hire is the reaction of current Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who was also a candidate for the head coaching vacancy. He reportedly told members of the organization he wouldn’t be returning upon learning he hadn’t received the internal promotion.
KEEP READING: Browns Hiring Todd Monken As Next HC ‘Upset’ a Key Coach Under Contract in Cleveland
Cleveland’s defense has ranked in the top 10 in PFSN’s NFL Defense Impact Score each of the last three seasons, a saving grace amid the team’s lack of overall success. They have the personnel to have a good defense regardless of who their DC is, but losing a defensive mind like Schwartz would be a big blow to the organization.
All told, Monken might not be the highest upside hire the Browns could’ve made at head coach, but he’s certainly one of the top offensive minds that wasn’t already in an NFL head coaching role. Time will tell if he’ll actually be the one to bring the franchise back to relevancy, but his floor seems high enough that he can get them to play better football.
Grade: B-
Buffalo Bills: Joe Brady
The Buffalo Bills are promoting from within to find their next head coach, promoting offensive coordinator Joe Brady into the role, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported on Tuesday.
Brady will be replacing his former boss, Sean McDermott, as the head coach, as the latter was fired right after Buffalo’s elimination from the postseason. He’ll be tasked with climbing the wall that McDermott: getting the Bills to finally win a Super Bowl.
2026 marks the fifth year that Brady will have been in the Bills’ organization. He started off as the quarterbacks coach from 2022 to 2023 after having been fired as the Panthers’ offensive coordinator in 2021. Brady then worked his way up into an offensive coordinator role, replacing Ken Dorsey upon his firing.
Since his 2019 season as LSU’s passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach in their undefeated season, Brady had long been seen as a rising star in the coaching ranks. The 36-year-old has interviewed for head coaching jobs in the past, and he finds his opportunity with the team he was already employed by.
Grading the Joe Brady Hire
In a vacuum, the thought of hiring Joe Brady as an NFL head coach is a great one. He’s been incredibly effective leading the Bills’ offense the last few years, and he’s a young offensive mind with a strong track record of success on that side of the ball.
If it wasn’t going to be in Buffalo, Brady was going to end up getting a HC gig somewhere eventually. Keeping him around gives them a high-upside option at head coach and maintains some continuity on offense.
That said, continuity feels like the exact thing the Bills decided against by firing McDermott. They’ve made the playoffs in each of the last seven seasons, and they had won the AFC East five consecutive times before 2025. The problem was that McDermott couldn’t lead them to a Super Bowl with an MVP QB in Josh Allen, and that’s why he got fired.
Hiring from within doesn’t provide any sort of outside spark for the Buffalo organization. Brady being their head coach gives them the exact stability they’ve been looking to break. Unless he has his own radically different ideas on how to lead a team, it feels tough to imagine things will be much different.
Internal promotions to head coach have happened a few times in recent years, including current coaches as Todd Bowles and Brian Schottenheimer. However, never in the 21st century has an internally promoted head coach led their team to a Super Bowl victory. That’s a steep bar Brady will have to climb.
In all, Brady definitely deserves to be an NFL head coach somewhere. As far as landing spots go from his point of view, staying in Buffalo, having personnel and scheme familiarity, and continuing to work with Allen at QB are all massive pluses. I’m just not sure it’s the move the Bills needed to make this time around.
Grade: B
Pittsburgh Steelers: Mike McCarthy
The Pittsburgh Steelers have hired former Packers and Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy to become their new head coach, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Saturday.
McCarthy has 18 previous seasons as an NFL head coach, having spent 2006 through 2018 with the Green Bay Packers. There, he won the Super Bowl for the 2010 season, making the playoffs nine times and winning the NFC North six times.
He went 125-77 as the Packers’ head coach, trailing just Curly Lambeau for all-time wins in franchise history. He also spent five years as the Cowboys’ head coach, making the playoffs three times with a 49-35 combined record.
McCarthy replaces another accomplished coach in his own right, as Mike Tomlin spent 19 seasons as the Steelers’ head coach before stepping away at the end of this year. Tomlin never had a losing season in his entire stint in Pittsburgh, so McCarthy will be held to a similar standard.
Grading the Mike McCarthy Hire
The Steelers have been in the playoff race consistently for over 20 years running, and McCarthy’s no stranger to leading teams to the postseason. He ranks 15th in NFL history with 174 wins, and his 22 playoff appearances are tied for ninth all-time.
If Pittsburgh wanted a head coach to keep them competitive, McCarthy is their guy. He’s also proven to lead successful offenses practically every year he’s led a team. Given the Steelers’ offensive struggles in recent years, it makes sense why he would be alluring to them.
There’s only one problem with this hire, but it happens to be a pretty major one. Under Tomlin, Pittsburgh was a team with a high floor but an incredible capped ceiling. Sure, they made the playoffs in four of their last five years, but they haven’t won a single playoff game since 2016.
The entire reason the Cowboys fired McCarthy after the 2024 season was because of his capped ceiling. Dallas made the playoffs three times under his watch and went 1-3 in the postseason. He won a Super Bowl with the Packers for the 2010 season, but he failed to return there in his following eight seasons, despite Aaron Rodgers winning four MVPs in that span.
Pittsburgh had a chance to escape the purgatory of being just slightly above average. They then proceeded to hire the only head coach who personifies being slightly above average just as much as Tomlin.
Both McCarthy and Tomlin have had incredible careers in the NFL, no doubt. But McCarthy is quite literally the offensive version of Tomlin. Based on his track record, I don’t expect much change for the Steelers, and that’s not a good thing.
Grade: C-
Baltimore Ravens: Jesse Minter
The Baltimore Ravens have hired Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter to be their new head coach, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported on Thursday.
Jesse Minter Has Plenty of History With the Harbaughs
Minter, 42, has been in the Harbaugh coaching tree for some time. He started his time in the NFL under John Harbaugh with the Ravens, having spent 2017 through 2020 there and climbing the ranks from a defensive assistant to a defensive backs coach.
He then spent 2021 as Vanderbilt’s defensive coordinator before spending the next two years under Jim Harbaugh as Michigan’s defensive coordinator, following him to Los Angeles in 2024.
Of course, it’s John whom Minter will be replacing as Baltimore’s head coach. With his successor spending 18 seasons with the team and winning a Super Bowl, the defensive mastermind has pretty big shoes to fill.
Grading the Jesse Minter Hire
There’s no denying the defensive firepower that Minter brings to the table. In Minter’s two years as their defensive coordinator, the Chargers placed in the top 10 in PFSN’s Defense Impact scoring both seasons. They ended 2024 ranked sixth in the NFL and concluded 2025 ranked eighth.
In his tenure at Michigan, the Wolverines won the national championship in 2023 on the shoulders of a dominant defense. They allowed the lowest points-per-game average in the FBS at just 10.4, as well as the second-fewest yards allowed per game at 157.0.
Under Minter’s leadership, Michigan saw eight defensive players drafted between 2023 and 2024. In particular, the 2024 NFL Draft had a pretty big footprint from that unit, with three Wolverine defenders having been selected within the first 70 picks. Other contributors from that title-winning defense, like Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant, and Will Johnson, got drafted in the first two rounds in 2025, too.
Minter becomes just the fourth head coach in Ravens history since their debut season in 1996, which speaks to the sustained success this organization has had. As far as landing spots for a head coach go, this is as good as it gets. They have a smart front office that knows how to win, and they have plenty of star power; does the name Lamar Jackson ring a bell?
The only real concern with Baltimore’s decision is the risk factor of hiring a first-time head coach. It’s not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but the question could be asked: Can someone who’s never been an NFL head coach before keep a team that’s a perennial playoff contender at or above their expected level?
Otherwise, Minter is clearly an intelligent defensive coach and a leader whom the players respect. His familiarity with the Ravens’ organization should provide a level of continuity that other outside hires would not. That said, there’s just enough of a difference to get the team’s fanbase that they’ll be able to break the Super Bowl glass ceiling that Harbaugh’s teams had not been able to in recent seasons.
Grade: A-
Tennessee Titans: Robert Saleh
The Tennessee Titans have hired 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh to be their new head coach, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Tuesday. The move marks the fourth head coaching hire of the ten spots to open up in the 2026 NFL offseason.
Saleh, 46, was previously the head coach of the Jets from 2021 to 2024. He’s cut his teeth on the defensive side of the ball, serving as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator from 2017 to 2020, returning to the role for the 2025 season after New York fired him as head coach.
Grading the Robert Saleh Hire
For much of his tenure as the Jets’ head coach, Saleh was doomed by abysmal quarterback play. Zach Wilson was the team’s primary starter for those first two seasons, and he stepped into the starting role again after Aaron Rodgers, the slam-dunk trade acquisition New York made in 2023, suffered a season-ending injury on the opening drive of the season.
In 33 starts, Wilson had a 57.0% completion percentage with 23 passing touchdowns to 25 interceptions, as well as a passer rating of just 73.2. Rodgers stepped onto the field for the Jets in 2024, but it was clear his MVP-caliber play was behind him. Saleh didn’t get much help on offense in New York, and he was fired five games into the 2024 season.
That said, the Jets put together some strong defensive units during Saleh’s time with the team. They ranked No. 5 in the NFL in PFSN’s Defense Impact in 2022, No. 3 in 2023, and No. 15 in 2024, though interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich oversaw much of the latter campaign.
The glaring concern is the 49ers’ 2025 season, as their defense ranked just No. 26 in the metric. They also allowed the eighth-most passing yards in the league and ranked dead last in team sacks with just 20 this year. Major injuries to the likes of Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, and Mykel Williams surely played a big role in that.
However, when making the jump to Tennessee, Saleh will face a similar problem to the injury-plagued 49ers: their defense has plenty of holes. Jeffery Simmons provides a superstar presence at defensive tackle, and T’Vondre Sweat is a nice young building block, but the Titans have a questionable secondary and don’t generate much pressure off the edge.
The Titans’ new head coach will have his work cut out for him, but it’s not like the organization made a slam-dunk hire at first glance, either. Circumstances aside, Saleh didn’t work out as the Jets’ head coach, and he didn’t necessarily kill it in San Francisco in 2025. There’s no denying he’s a strong defensive mind, but he arguably wasn’t even the best on the market on that side of the ball.
A major concern for Tennessee has to be the development of Cam Ward. He showed some flashes as a rookie, but the No. 1 pick didn’t light the world on fire in his first NFL season. It became clear very early that former head coach Brian Callahan wasn’t the guy for the job, but when you have a young quarterback you believe could be the face of the franchise, developing him needs to take top priority.
There have been defensive-minded head coaches to get great play out of quarterbacks, but there’s not much precedent for a struggling rookie QB to receive a new head coach in Year 2, have that coach come from a defensive background, and have that QB improve.
Recent examples of that approach failing include Justin Fields, Davis Mills, and Dwayne Haskins. Josh Rosen got traded to a Dolphins team led by a defensive-minded coach after his rookie year, too.
The point is that, if a rookie quarterback struggles in Year 1, an offensive-minded head coach is usually the best approach to try to get them back on track. That’s not to say it’s a perfect formula, but it’s one with more success than the one the Titans are planning on taking with Cam Ward.
Saleh is a veteran coach who should manage the locker room well and help Tennessee’s defense improve in the coming years. That itself is a pretty big floor raiser for the Titans, but as far as the ceiling goes? Consider me skeptical.
Grade: C+
Miami Dolphins: Jeff Hafley
The Miami Dolphins have hired Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley to become their new head coach, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport announced on Monday.
Hafley, 46, served as Green Bay’s defensive coordinator for the last two seasons. He was previously the head coach for Boston College for four seasons, going 22-26 in that span. He reunites with Jon-Eric Sullivan in Miami, their new general manager, who was previously the Packers’ vice president of player personnel.
Hafley becomes the third head coach hired in this year’s NFL head-coaching carousel, and he’s also the first of the bunch to be hired as a first-time NFL head coach.
Grading the Jeff Hafley Hire
2026 marks a unique NFL coaching carousel, with 10 new head coaching hires and several fired coaches being household names. Miami made a smart move to cut ties with Mike McDaniel, even with their improvement in play down the stretch of the season. His teams had fallen short of expectations each of the last two years.
It was smart of the Dolphins to make a defensive-minded hire, especially considering they had one of the least efficient defenses in the NFL this season. Having an experienced mind like Hafley should help get them back on track. They have some talented pass rushers on their roster, and a better defensive coaching staff in place should help them.
Despite having the right approach, Hafley might not be the home-run hire the Giants made with John Harbaugh or the Falcons made with Kevin Stefanski. In each of the last two seasons, the Packers fell short of top-ten rankings in PFSN’s Defense Impact scoring.
They actually regressed in 2025, falling from a 78.7 score in 2024 to a 74.4 score this season. Part of that decrease was their missing Micah Parsons over the last few games, but that’s not the greatest look for a head-coaching hire. His record as a head coach at Boston College wasn’t particularly impressive, either.
As far as first-time NFL head coaches go, Hafley is undoubtedly ahead of the curve because of his time leading Boston College before his stint in Green Bay. As far as defensive-minded head coaches go, however, the likes of Jesse Minter, Chris Shula, and Vance Joseph are among those whose defenders outperformed the Packers’ unit this season. It would’ve been beneficial to check in on the newly fired Sean McDermott, too.
Hafley’s earlier experience as a defensive backs coach should help a Miami secondary that’s pretty bare bones heading into the 2026 offseason. He should definitely help them get better on defense, but they also face an uphill battle moving on from Tua Tagovailoa and rebuilding an offense that’s fallen from grace in recent seasons.
Don’t expect the Dolphins to excel right out of the gate; this is a process that should take some time. It’s up to Miami’s front office to give their new head coach the patience that he deserves.
Grade: C
Atlanta Falcons: Kevin Stefanski
The Atlanta Falcons struck quickly to make the second hire of the NFL head coaching cycle, hiring former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski. ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported the news.
Schefter’s report claims that the Falcons flew Stefanski in on Saturday, which ended up being his second visit with the team. They made the quick decision to hire him there, keeping the two-time NFL Coach of the Year in Atlanta to sign the contract.
The Falcons had recently fired Raheem Morris from his head coaching post after just two seasons in the position, having gone 8-9 both seasons. Stefanski will be tasked with improving on that and bringing the team into first place in the NFC South: something they haven’t done since 2016.
Grading the Kevin Stefanski Hire
Upon being fired by Cleveland, Stefanski instantly became one of the top head coaching candidates on the market. His 45-56 record over his six seasons with the Browns might not tell it, but he overachieved given the circumstances he had to deal with.
There’s a chance it’s just damage control, but a report from CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco came out soon after Stefanski’s firing that the coach was actually against the Browns’ decision to trade for Deshaun Watson. They gave the former Texans quarterback $230 million fully guaranteed over five years, and he didn’t come close to resembling his old self.
The gigantic albatross that was Watson’s contract made it very difficult for the Browns to field a competitive team for Stefanski. That fault falls very much on the shoulders of Cleveland’s front office, more so than the head coach himself.
Still, the Browns made it to the playoffs in 2023 with an 11-6 season, despite starting five different quarterbacks that season. Joe Flacco spent most of the regular season sitting on the couch, and he stepped in for Cleveland and won Comeback Player of the Year under Stefanski’s watch.
Between the likes of Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders, Cleveland’s quarterback room threw just 16 touchdowns to 18 interceptions in 2025, completing only 57.9% of passes in the process. That’s a horrendous mark that makes it incredibly difficult for any team to succeed, and the Browns still closed out the year with consecutive wins.
Stefanski is jumping ship to an Atlanta roster that’s much more ready to compete. Questions still surround Michael Penix Jr. going into his third year in the NFL, but weapons like Drake London, Bijan Robinson, and the potential re-signing of Kyle Pitts give him a lot to work with on offense.
The Falcons’ defense also took a big step up in 2025, and a lot of that was due to strong play from rookies like Jalon Walker, James Pearce Jr., and Xavier Watts. Stefanski won’t have as many excuses in Atlanta as he did in Cleveland, but given his track record when he has a good roster to work with, that shouldn’t be a problem.
Grade: A-
New York Giants: John Harbaugh
The New York Giants made a splash on Wednesday, hiring former Super Bowl champion John Harbaugh to become their new head coach. It marked the first move of what figures to be a chaotic NFL head coaching carousel this offseason.
Harbaugh, 63, had been the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens for 18 seasons before he was fired at the end of the 2025-26 NFL regular season. He will be replacing Brian Daboll as the Giants’ head coach, and he’ll be tasked with bringing them back to their first postseason appearance since 2022.
Grading the John Harbaugh Hire
Simply put, the Giants’ hiring Harbaugh is one of the best decisions the franchise has made in ages. They have missed the playoffs in eight of their last nine seasons, and Harbaugh has made the playoffs six times in that span. Arguably, the only reason the Ravens missed out on the postseason was that Lamar Jackson missed a handful of games in the first half of the year.
In his 18 seasons as the Ravens’ head coach, Harbaugh went 180-113 with 12 playoff appearances and a Super Bowl victory in the 2012 season. He only finished with a sub-.500 record in three years in Baltimore, and he’s won a playoff game in three of his last four postseason berths.
The Giants finished the year with a disappointing 4-13 record, but there was plenty to be optimistic about with them as a head coaching landing spot. For one, they saw encouraging play out of first-round quarterback Jaxson Dart in his rookie season.
They went 1-6 in one-score games in 2025, showing they can keep games close but weren’t able to finish. Having a proven coach like Harbaugh should help New York convert more of those opportunities into victories, as should the further development of Dart under center.
In addition to Dart, the Giants have other encouraging pieces on both sides of the ball. Their current core consists of players like Dexter Lawrence, Malik Nabers, Andrew Thomas, Brian Burns, and Abdul Carter. They also have encouraging young players like Cam Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy Jr., among others.
Sure, New York has some work to do addressing the rest of their offensive line and their secondary. That said, this was a pretty solid job opening, and Harbaugh was a slam-dunk selection for Joe Schoen and the rest of the Giants’ organization.
Even if they don’t turn into a Super Bowl contender right away, they should at least be better with a proven winner at the helm.
