New York Giants: Short list for the next head coach

Pat Shurmur, New York Giants. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
Pat Shurmur, New York Giants. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images) /
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Jim Harbaugh, Michigan Wolverines. Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

3. Jim Harbaugh

This is yet another offensive-minded head coach, despite everything I said earlier, but hear me out. Jim Harbaugh did a great job in San Francisco before deciding to go back to his alma mater in Ann Arbor, MI.

Harbaugh is still the head coach at Michigan and there is also a very good chance that he isn’t going anywhere, but his time with the Wolverines hasn’t exactly gone as planned. In the five games, the Wolverines have played against Ohio State, with Harbaugh at the helm, they have lost by a combined 95 points. That doesn’t sit well with the maize and blue faithful.

Not only that but the Wolverines have finished the season in the top-10 only once in Harbaugh’s time there, which was in 2016 when they went 10-3. Let that sink in, in his five years at one of the best programs in college football, his best season was10-3.

It looks as if it is time to move on from Harbaugh in Ann Arbor. Unfortunately for Michigan though, the coach still has two years left on his contract in which he is owed $6M for each. The buyout would be $12M, a hefty amount to pay a coach when he isn’t coaching there anymore.

However, according to footballscoop.com, the contract does include language which would require Harbaugh to:

"“put in a good-faith effort to secure new employment in the event Michigan does move on and his buyout would be mitigated by the salary he earned at a hypothetical new coaching position, but Michigan is indeed officially on the hook for Harbaugh’s entire contract.”"

Therefore Michigan would not be required to pay Harbaugh the $12M owed, should he become the next head coach of the New York Giants.

Here is Jim Harbaugh’s NFL head coaching resume:

  • 2011 NFL Coach of the Year
  • 2012-13 NFC Champion
  • 44-19-1 overall record
  • 2x NFC West Champion
  • 5-3 in NFL playoffs

Rather impressive. At first, he wouldn’t be at the same level leading the Giants, considering the current state of the G-Men. But this just goes to show the caliber of coach Harbaugh is, despite his college struggles. I believe the Giants should seriously consider Harbaugh to be the next head coach in New York.