The New York Giants are entering a new era this year under head coach John Harbaugh. The Super Bowl-winning coach was brought in to stop the slide after three losing seasons and rebuild the franchise's crumbling infrastructure.
There's no doubt he can do it. The Harbaughs are famous for quick turnaround jobs, and some see the Giants as a team much like the San Francisco 49ers that John's brother Jim took over in 2011 -- a team full of high draft picks and exceptional talent that was performing poorly.
Jim led those Niners, who were coming off eight consecutive non-winning seasons, to a 13-3 record and the NFC Championship Game. John has also had success turning teams around. He took over a 5-11 Baltimore Ravens team in 2008 and led them to an 11-5
season, losing the AFC Championship Game to the eventual Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers.
It is entirely conceivable that these Giants could be in the same category as those other Harbaugh teams. Frank Schwab of Yahoo! Sports believes John has a strong chance of getting Big Blue to the playoffs in his first year.
A lot of times, breakouts with first-year head coaches look like the 2026 Giants. They have a good amount of young talent, including a fun second-year quarterback in Jaxson Dart. They were underachieving with the old staff. In steps Harbaugh, who has a Hall of Fame-level résumé. The Giants have a long way to go, but would it really surprise anyone to see Harbaugh do a great job, get the Giants to the playoffs and win NFL Coach of the Year again? It shouldn't.
The Harbaugh effect isn't just a first-year thing; it's also sustainable. John has a 180-113 (.614) record as an NFL head coach. Jim has a 66-31-1 record as an NFL head coach and a 144-52 record as a college coach.
Keep your Januarys open, Giants fans.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Harbaughs' turnaround history bodes well for 2026 New York Giants
