CBS Sports NFL Analyst Checks in With Thoughts on Giants' Coaching Search

Join the Big Blue Breakdown podcast live stream at 8 PM ET on Wednesday, Jan. 14 for the latest on the Giants' coaching search as well as a chance to participate in the stream!

In reality, no team ever really knows whether it's made the right decision with its general manager, head coach, or roster until time passes and the results play out. Only then can one sit back and evaluate what went down and if it was the "right" or "wrong" decision.

The New York Giants are one of many NFL teams facing this conundrum as they sort through an extensive list of head coaching candidates, some with strong track records and others with small or no sample sizes at this level. And this becomes a more critical choice when you consider the organization's frustrations over the past decade.

John Harbaugh, who won a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens, may very well be the unanimous choice as the most sought-after head coaching free agent and would bring the complete package to his new job, according to NFL game analyst Charles Davis of CBS Sports and SiriusXM NFL Radio.

"Here's what I like about John Harbaugh - it's that he knows football," Davis told the Big Blue Breakdown podcast in an exclusive interview.

"He coached [as a] head coach, [the] secondary, has a big-picture view, and was raised in the sport, as we well know. ... This is a ball coach extraordinaire through and through.

“Excellent assistant coach on the collegiate level, head coach on the collegiate level, won a national championship with Western Kentucky in [Division] 1-AA, you name it.

“If you spend time with him, you're struck by him. And I'm speaking from experience: it's been a fantastic experience watching Jim Harbaugh and John's practices alongside their father, Jack Harbaugh.”

Charles Davis spoke for 45 minutes exclusively to the Big Blue Breakdown podcast about the Giants HC search. — SiriusXM radio host Charles Davis spoke for 45 minutes exclusively to the Big Blue Breakdown podcast about the NY Giants head coaching search. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Davis continued, "You also have a person who I think is pretty connected to his team, can sense it, can feel it, can do all these different things. I know what people are saying and the criticisms that have come out of Baltimore right now. I've also seen a lot of the players go, 'Nah, he never lost the locker room. That's never been the case.'"

The other free agent Super Bowl-winning head coaches who may still want to roam the sidelines are Mike McCarthy (Green Bay), Jon Gruden (Tampa Bay), and Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh).

But an NFL team hasn't fully employed Gruden since being embroiled in a long-time suit with the league, and Tomlin, whose rights are still owned by the Steelers, resigned and reportedly is leading toward a job in television.

More specifically, the Giants have been linked in the media to several other teams that have controlled the sidelines without capturing a Lombardi Trophy.

Kevin Stefanski (Cleveland) and Kliff Kingsbury (Arizona) led a team that went to the playoffs, but only Stefanski's squad came away with a victory.

Vance Joseph (Denver), Raheem Morris (Atlanta), Antonio Pierce (Las Vegas), and Giants interim head coach Mike Kafka directed clubs that failed to qualify for the postseason.

NFL assistants linked to the opening include Lou Anarumo, Davis Webb, Darren Rizzi, and Klint Kubiak.

The Giants, meanwhile, have quietly gone about their business, making no official comments about anyone on their list.

We sort through the head coaching puzzle and discuss the most important aspects of what the Giants may be looking for in the latest edition of the Big Blue Breakdown podcast, available in the video above, airing live at PM ET. We’re also taking your video calls and questions in the chat.

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