John Harbaugh Tried to Dissuade Top Assistant from Leaving

John Harbaugh recently expressed surprise at the Cleveland Browns’ decision to hire Todd Monken as their head coach. Harbaugh, the new coach for the Giants, attempted to persuade Monken to remain with them. He stated, “I really thought he was coming with us, but Cleveland was in there all along.” Monken had previously served as the offensive coordinator for the Browns in 2019, making him a familiar face for the franchise.

Ongoing Search for Offensive Coordinator

With Monken’s move to Cleveland, Harbaugh and the Giants are actively looking for their next offensive coordinator. Prior to Monken’s departure, the only known candidates for the position were Willie Taggart and Robert Prince.

• Willie Taggart: Previously worked as the running backs coach under Harbaugh in Baltimore. Expected to continue in a similar role with the Giants.
• Robert Prince: A seasoned wide receivers coach who coached with the Dolphins last season.

The Giants have extended interviews or set up meetings with other candidates, including:

• Jim Bob Cooter: Formerly with the Lions and Colts, has significant coaching experience.
• Alex Tanney: A backup quarterback with the Giants in 2019. He served as the passing game coordinator last season with the Colts.
• Davis Webb: Drafted by the Giants in 2017, he has been the quarterbacks coach with the Broncos.
• Shane Day: The quarterbacks coach with the Chargers for the past two seasons.

Harbaugh emphasized the importance of this hiring, as the offensive coordinator will be responsible for play-calling. Throughout his career with the Ravens, he has worked with seven offensive coordinators, all of whom had prior play-calling experience.

Qualities of a Successful Offensive Coordinator

When interviewing candidates, Harbaugh looks for specific qualities. He stated, “You need someone unrelenting about chasing all the self-evident truths of football.” He seeks a candidate who can articulate their offensive vision and effectively game plan.

Harbaugh is also aware of the risks associated with hiring coaches lacking play-calling experience. He noted, “You never know how good somebody is at calling plays until they start calling plays.” This uncertainty is similar to the situation faced by the Eagles after hiring Sean Mannion as their offensive coordinator.

The Giants aim to finalize their candidate list soon. Harbaugh remains optimistic, mentioning, “The good news is that there’s a lot of really good candidates.” As the search continues, the anticipation grows regarding the future of the Giants’ offense.