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Maybe New York Giants fans took the Eli Manning-Tom Coughlin era for granted.
From November 21, 2004 to January 3, 2016, it was the only quarterback-head coach tandem the Big Blue had. Since then, including interims, they have had 17 – and five this season alone.
The Giants organization today looks unfamiliar compared to years past, but with the hiring of John Harbaugh, Eli Manning believes the franchise can return to what it was supposed to be.
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New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh speaks at the press conference announcing his hiring at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center. (Ed Mulholland/Imagn Images)
“It couldn’t have worked out any better,” Manning told Pakinomist Digital in a recent interview about Harbaugh’s hiring. “I knew the Giants had to hire a new coach, you’re just like, ‘Hey, you need somebody with head coaching experience and a guy who’s been in this situation, who’s going to know how to deal with the New York media, who’s going to kind of take over as the CEO of not just the team, but the whole organization and the whole building around the Giants. The problem is, that person isn’t out there.
“And then, all of a sudden, there’s John Harbaugh sitting there. It’s just unbelievable, somebody who’s had a lot of success in the NFL. It just couldn’t be a better fit. I’m so excited for him, I’ve had some long conversations with him about this, and I think he’s going to do an incredible job and excited to get the Giants back on track.”
Owner John Mara has taken the brunt of the criticism, understandably, regarding the Giants’ ongoing downward spiral that even dates back to Manning’s days. Manning was benched for Geno Smith in 2017, ending his Iron Man streak.
The following April, the Giants, fresh off a 3-13 season, drafted Saquon Barkley over Josh Allen and Sam Darnold (Lamar Jackson was picked 32nd) to try to get Manning one more ring. Then there were the general manager hires of Dave Gettleman and Joe Schoen and the coaches of Ben McAdoo, Pat Shurmur, Joe Judge and Brian Daboll. During that time, they also faced criticism for ignoring a domestic violence case involving former kicker John Brown, and other draft picks have faltered.
Despite the apparent flaws, no one wants the Giants to win more than Mara, and Manning knows it — admittedly, to a fault.
Eli Manning of the New York Giants poses with John Mara during a press conference announcing the quarterback’s retirement on Jan. 24, 2020, at the Quest Diagnostic Training Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Elsa/Getty Images)
ELI MANNING TAKES ON ANOTHER JOB AS HE TEASES POSSIBLE OLYMPIC Uprising
“That’s why I wanted to come to this franchise more than 20 years ago, because you saw their commitment to do whatever it takes to win a championship. That’s all they care about is putting a great team out there. That was my idea of them before I came to the Giants. And after being in this organization for the last 20 years, I can attest that that’s all they care about,” Manning said.
“They do everything for the players, for the coaches, for the people in the building that’s been there, and there’s a reason people have worked there for 30, 40 years. It’s family. And the Maras and the Tisches, that’s all they care about is putting a great product out there, getting the best coaches, getting the best players, doing everything their passion is to win games in New York, and it’s a passion for New York. It’s because they want anything too much and they’re too committed to it and they’re passionate about the Giants and that attitude rubs off every player that comes through has their same passion and commitment to the team and I know they’re going to do everything to get them back on track.
Since their Super Bowl XLVI victory to end the 2011 season, the Giants have only made the playoffs twice, winning one game. It is clear that there is a lack of culture in East Rutherford, and culture usually wins. But Manning believes Harbaugh can bring it back.
New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh speaks to the media after being introduced during a press conference at the team’s NFL football practice facility. The event took place in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Tuesday, January 20, 2026. (Adam Hunger/AP Photo)
“I think it just comes down to a belief and everybody has to have that. It’s not just a few of the main players. It’s everybody in the building that, ‘Hey, what we’re building here, what we’re doing is correct.’ Unbelievably good. Being at practice, having a good plan for how we’re going to get better every single week in the offseason, and dealing with all of those things, bringing everybody in and creating that, that tight-knit group that kind of believes that no matter what situation you’re in, whether you’re down, whether you’re up, you’re going to have the ability to come back and win football games and overcome tough times.
“It’s never easy. It’s not meant to be easy. You want to make it difficult and it has to be difficult at all times, but that’s what prepares you for the difficult situations over the course of a game and a season.”
