John Harbaugh made it clear from the start of his hyped press conference that the Giants job was the one he coveted.
There were questions surrounding which vacancy the Super Bowl-winning head coach would find most attractive, but in his first comments as Giants head coach, Harbaugh told the crowd of reporters and Big Blue players that he made it known to John Mara which job he wanted after 18 years with the Ravens.
“One of the most iconic franchises in all of sports. I wanted this job,” Harbaugh said. “To be on the biggest stage in the biggest sport. I know the challenges, I understand the expectations, and I know the fans are hungry for a winner.
“We’re here with one mission: to become, to earn the right to be called world champions in New York, and that’s what we plan to do.”
On the surface, the Giants have a long way to go to reach those goals. They’ve posted just one .500 season or better in the past decade. They have combined to win just 13 games over the past three seasons. But Harbaugh watched film of New York’s nightmare 4-13 season and saw ingredients to put together a winner. The offensive line looked improved. There were aspects of the defense that looked promising. Of course, there was the young quarterback in Jaxson Dart. For a coach that has only known competitive football in Baltimore, Harbaugh sees a path to that same level of relevancy here in New York.
First, he will focus on creating a winning mindset and attitude in the locker room.
“It starts with building a team that is physical and tough,” Harbaugh said. “That’s capable of overwhelming their opponent from beginning to end, especially at the end. That understands how to finish. That is smart and disciplined and plays the game the way it’s supposed to be played.”
Unsurprisingly, Harbaugh seemed to hit all the right notes in his introductory press conference, preaching a desire to bring a once-proud franchise back to prominence by establishing a brand of football that the fanbase will be proud of. Harbaugh spoke like a proven winner on Tuesday, and that’s what he plans to turn the Giants into under his watch, and quickly.
“Nothing will be taken for granted,” Harbaugh said. “It will always be about the team. The team, the team, the team...it’s time to go to work.”