Is Joe Schoen’s Extension Imminent? How the ‘Harbaugh Effect’ Changed the Giants' Front Office

Joe Schoen has made the best of a situation in which he had to cede some power to the team’s new coach and that's only going to benefit everyone in the long run.

New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen and head coach John Harbaugh at the coach's introductory press conference. | Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

John Harbaugh was exactly what New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen needed.

Harbaugh, the 18-year veteran NFL head coach who boasts 12 postseason appearances, one AP NFL Coach of the Year award, and one Super Bowl title on his resume, arrived in East Rutherford with a proven track record of building a winning program.

That knowledge base extended beyond the Xs and Os to include dealing with simmering embers of controversy and in building a top-notch staff with a collective track record of optimizing its player talent–all characteristics that, unfortunately, Brian Daboll, the first head coach Schoen ever worked with as a general manager, couldn’t deliver.

And so, after what appears to be a successful four-month trial marriage that was recently capped by their first draft together, enough signs are pointing in the right direction for Schoen’s quest for a contract extension.

From Friendship to Formalism 

New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen and John Harbaugh before the press conference announcing Harbaugh's hiring as the next New York Giants head coach. | Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

While Schoen and Daboll had mutual respect for one another, their working relationship was always driven more by friendship than by business.

For example, when Schoen spoke of Daboll, he always did so by the former head coach’s first name.

And when Schoen disagreed with Daboll–and there were notable instances of that having happened–it was fair to wonder how much the general manager pushed back and exercised his authority to overrule the head coach.

That has changed with Harbaugh in the building. At Schoen’s press briefing held before the draft, not once did he refer to Harbaugh by his first name; instead, he referred to him as “Coach” or “Coach Harbaugh.”

And while no one in the building will come right out and admit to it, it’s probably fair to assume that if there was a difference of opinion regarding which direction the team should take, Harbaugh’s was more likely than not the direction the Giants took.

Schoen, to his credit, has admitted to having made mistakes in the past, and the team’s 22-45-1 record under his watch is certainly something he probably won’t be rushing to put on his resume anytime soon.

But the reason why Schoen survived last year’s purge is because of a belief by ownership that the coaching failures to develop the talent ownership attributed to Schoen and his staff acquiring through the draft and free agency–was too large an obstacle to overcome.

Can This Front Office Partnership Last Long-Term? 

General Manager Joe Schoen, left, and new Giants Head Coach John Harbaugh | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The last four months have seen Schoen, who again is still growing into his role as an NFL general manager after two very forgettable first years, do so under the guidance of Harbaugh.

To his credit, Schoen has checked his ego at the door and has drawn the praise of Harbaugh, who in the history of the franchise has wielded the most power ever by a head coach.

“I feel great about how it's gone,” Harbaugh said of his time working with Schoen so far.  

“We ended up on the same page. We didn't always agree, but we understood where we were coming from.

“Joe and I have been working together every single day, I mean, hours on end, whether it's planning or organizing or just talking about players or watching tape again  on these guys. I feel like it's gone very well.”

That, of course, bodes well for Schoen’s chances of getting an extension rather than a pink slip.

While ownership, who will make that call about Schoen’s extension, hasn’t directly addressed the matter of late, they’ll undoubtedly take into strong consideration their $20 million per year head coach’s opinion regarding the operation and whether Schoen is truly worthy of an extension, whenever that might be.

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