The New York Giants will have John Harbaugh as their head coach for the 2026 NFL season. One of his main priorities will be fixing the club’s defense, which is why he is targeting a Super Bowl–winning coach for that task.
According to Michael McCarthy of FrontOfficeSports.com, John Harbaugh has revealed that Rex Ryan could join his coaching staff in 2026. While he has been out of the NFL for nearly 10 years, the Super Bowl XXXV champion remains a highly respected defensive mind in Harbaugh’s eyes.
“Why not?” HC John Harbaugh said on WFAN. “Could you imagine Rex coming back in here? I’m not ruling anything out. A guy like Rex, he’s around the game, he knows the game. He’s going to have to get updated a little bit with some of the scheme stuff, but I’ll tell you, no one calls a better game than Rex Ryan.”
John Harbaugh knows how to identify a good coach
During his time with the Baltimore Ravens, John Harbaugh worked alongside several top-tier coordinators. His most recent success story is just one win away from a Super Bowl appearance, as Mike Macdonald is close to leading the Seattle Seahawks to the big game.
Macdonald served as Harbaugh’s defensive coordinator from 2022 to 2023. He became the Seahawks’ head coach in 2024, and just one year later, he is on the verge of competing for a Vince Lombardi Trophy after orchestrating a remarkable transformation in Seattle.
While Rex Ryan has not coached in the league for a decade, there is a clear reason why Harbaugh still believes in him. With a Super Bowl–winning coach potentially by his side, the new Giants head coach appears focused on assembling a high-level staff to rebuild the franchise for the long term.
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John Harbaugh and all the NY Giants head coaches in franchise history
