Fireside Giants - A New York Giants Podcast · Empire Sports Media, HMA

My DREAM Giants 2026 Coaching Staff | John Harbaugh and WHO ELSE!?

·26 min·2 clips

What if John Harbaugh's Giants staff includes Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator?

This episode of Fireside Giants presents host Anthony Rivardo's speculative blueprint for a dream 2026 New York Giants coaching staff led by John Harbaugh. Rivardo, a dedicated Giants analyst, constructs a detailed and optimistic scenario for the team's future leadership. He bases his dream staff on Harbaugh's established coaching history and the current availability of top candidates. Rivardo emphasizes that hiring Harbaugh, who holds the NFL record for most postseason road wins, is the essential first step. He notes at least nine teams have already expressed interest in Harbaugh, making his acquisition uncertain. For offensive coordinator, Rivardo passionately advocates for recently fired Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel. He supports this by revealing that six of Harbaugh's eight offensive coordinators in Baltimore were former head coaches. McDaniel's 2023 Dolphins offense led the NFL in total yards, averaging 401 per game, and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa led the league in passing yards that season. Rivardo highlights McDaniel's background as a run game coordinator in San Francisco, where the 49ers averaged 144 rushing yards per game during their 2019 Super Bowl season. For defensive coordinator, Rivardo selects Anthony Weaver, the former Dolphins DC who previously worked under Harbaugh in Baltimore. He points to Weaver's 2023 season as Ravens assistant head coach, where the defense led the league by allowing only 16.5 points per game. Rivardo contrasts this with the Giants' 31st-ranked run defense in 2024, while Weaver's Dolphins defense allowed zero 100-yard rushers the prior season. He acknowledges Weaver's unit had a slow start in 2024 but improved to a top-10 ranking in yards allowed from weeks six through ten. A surprising insight is Rivardo's argument that McDaniel's work with Tua Tagovailoa looks even more impressive given the quarterback's documented decline following multiple concussions. He also finds it compelling that Harbaugh's coordinator history includes hiring a former college head coach, Todd Monken, fitting the pattern of seeking experienced leaders. Rivardo believes the Shanahan-style offense, which McDaniel represents, simplifies the game for quarterbacks through pre-snap motion and would be ideal for developing Giants QB J.J. McCarthy. He speculates that both McDaniel and Weaver are likely to receive head coaching interviews this offseason, which could thwart this dream scenario. The episode's tone is enthusiastic and deeply analytical, blending hopeful speculation with concrete historical data and statistics. Rivardo's style is conversational yet detailed, clearly aimed at informed Giants fans who enjoy roster-building theory. This episode is perfect for Giants fans obsessed with the coaching search and those who enjoy detailed, optimistic franchise building scenarios. Listeners seeking only confirmed news or who are averse to speculative "dream" roster construction may want to skip it.

As heard by us

A Harbaugh-led Giants dream staff that stays grounded in football logic.

This episode centers on a Giants coaching search with John Harbaugh at the middle of the conversation, then broadens into what a dream staff around him might look like.

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Why you'd press play

You want a Giants coaching dream centered on John Harbaugh that still tries to sound realistic.

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