NY Giants coaching search tracker with news and candidate updates

John Harbaugh is taking the rest of this week to let his exit from Baltimore settle before he jumps into the market and begins interviewing for his next job. The Giants are believed to be at the top of a list of prospective suitors, and Harbaugh shares in that affinity for the vacancy.

But the Giants’ process won’t stop as they wait on Harbaugh; truth be told, it shouldn’t and ultimately can’t because of parameters set forth by the NFL. Here’s what you need to know:

• The last thing the Giants can afford is to give off the perception that they are looking to rush through the interviews – Rooney Rule be damned – in order to hire Harbaugh. Remember: they are still involved in an alleged discrimination lawsuit filed by Brian Flores on the heels of their 2022 coaching search. The Giants owe it to themselves and to the spirit of the Rooney Rule to let the process play out.
• The Giants were set to interview Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph virtually on Thursday, and they also have former Falcons HC Raheem Morris in the building for an in-person interview. The Athletic reported that the Giants went to dinner with Morris, a NJ native, on Wednesday night.
• As a reminder for the Rooney Rule requirements: at least two minority candidates from outside the organization must receive in-person interviews before a team can move forward with a hiring, either one of those candidates or another. In this instance, Morris would qualify; Joseph would not. Neither would Mike Kafka, the Giants’ interim head coach who completed his interview earlier this week. Kafka is of Puerto Rican descent and qualifies as a minority candidate in the market, but since he is an internal candidate, his interview does not count toward satisfying the Rooney Rule for the Giants.
• As for Harbaugh, there are several scenarios that could be in play here – even if the consequences are not intentional. The longer he waits, the more of a possibility that another vacancy could open up after the wild-card round this weekend. Could the Bills, the Eagles or the Packers move on from their proven head coaches for a chance at Harbaugh if they were to lose? We can’t rule that out.
• Another situation to keep an eye on for Harbaugh is Miami. The Dolphins have kept HC Mike McDaniel in the fold, but they are interviewing GMs. Chad Alexander is reportedly one of four finalists, and he has ties to Harbaugh, as does Miami owner Stephen Ross. The Giants would appear to have the better opportunity given the presence of Jaxson Dart, but should the Dolphins decide to make a push, no one knows if that would reshuffle the deck.
• The Giants might not be upset that Harbaugh is waiting. That gives them time to move forward in their interview process and clear the decks, so to speak, for when Harbaugh meets with them. If that’s the case and the Rooney Rule requirements are met prior to that interview, the Giants could be in position where they don’t want to let Harbaugh out of the building. Let’s see how this plays out.
• Interviews completed: former Browns HC Kevin Stefanski and Giants interim HC Mike Kafka, both in person. Former Falcons coach Raheem Morris, in-person, is on-going.