The New York Giants are embarking on a new era after restructuring their front office, scouting department, coaching staff, and the manner in which they conduct their business.
Joe Schoen, who was a first-time general manager who was left unchecked for the past four years, had his job redefined. He’s no longer the final voice on personnel moves after the team brought in John Harbaugh as the new head coach.
Harbaugh and Schoen were thrown together in shotgun fashion by the Giants’ ownership group to right the ship, which has gone wildly off course the past 12 seasons.
Observers are curious about how the new partnership will work. Schoen was on the verge of being fired after the team’s abysmal 13-38 record over the past three seasons. Former head coach Brian Daboll and most of his staff took the fall. Schoen was retained, but is believed to be on thin ice.
Harbaugh is actually the one in this union coming off a breakup. He was canned by the Baltimore Ravens after 18 season, which included a Super Bowl championship. Both men are on redemption tours, sort of.
“We talk about scars a lot,” Schoen told Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer in a joint interview with Harbaugh. “We all got scars.”
Harbaugh agreed.
“The only people that don’t have any scars are the people who haven’t been in any fights,” Harbaugh says. “Because in fights, real fights, you get punched in the face. And I promise you, if you haven’t been in any fights, you don’t know how to fight. You’re going to get your (expletive) kicked at some point. You have to pick yourself off the mat at some point. And I really don’t know how that guy [who hasn’t been in a fight] is going to respond to that.”
Even when you get knocked down, Harbaugh believes in having no regrets.
“Life is best understood looking back,” Harbaugh added. “So you look back—this is what it was—and I don’t really have any big regrets. But it’s best lived going forward. Let’s dig in, let’s talk. We got challenges, man. I don’t got time to be sitting there going, Gee, I wonder what I could’ve done differently in Baltimore. I don’t know, clock’s ticking, draft’s coming up.”
Harbaugh and Schoen have leaned into their joint venture with enthusiasm and positivity. The new structure is actually less restrictive than many predicted. They are working together to make the Giants winners again and enjoying it in the process.
The two have learned quite a bit about one another over the past several months. They are both tireless workers who are aggressive and passionate about their missions.
“This guy does more work in the draft than any coach I’ve ever been around,” Schoen said.
Harbaugh has already made an impact on the Giants’ organization. His upbeat, but disciplined, approach to running a team has been infectious. Schoen has picked up on that. He has realized his mistakes and is ready to steer clear of the icebergs going forward. He’s realizing that Harbaugh is here to help.
“The bar is high with his passion for the draft and the amount of work he does; he’s always learning. And I always want to learn,” Schoen said. “And, obviously, he’s got a tremendous track record, and he’s been in an organization for the previous 18 years that won a lot of football games. So we have a process in place, but we’re always open to being more efficient. It’s whatever we need to do to get to the endgame. ”
“I’m in the right place here. Joe’s in the right place here. And I’m fired up because I think we can do well,” Harbaugh said.
Together, the two have made the Giants stronger from top to bottom. Schoen knows the past few years were trying, and he’s learned the lessons. The Giants are about to benefit from his and Harbaugh’s failures.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: New York Giants’ Joe Schoen, John Harbaugh have bonded over past ‘scars’
Reporting by John Fennelly, Giants Wire / Giants Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
