New York Giants first-year head coach John Harbaugh is seen on the same level as team general manager Joe Schoen after an organizational tweak gave Harbaugh more power
09:24 ET, 16 Feb 2026
John Harbaugh is the new head coach of the Giants
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John Harbaugh is the new head coach of the Giants(Image: Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
The New York Giants opted to retain beleaguered general manager Joe Schoen for the 2026 NFL season despite parting ways with former head coach Brian Daboll midway through the 2025 campaign.
Schoen played a hand in New York's move to hire longtime Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh in January, but the former Super Bowl-winning boss won't report directly to the Giants GM. Instead, both Schoen and Harbaugh will report directly to ownership in a shakeup of the franchise's org chart, a move Harbaugh sought in his contract.
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This change provides Harbaugh with significant influence and allows him to push for the hiring of veteran NFL executive Dawn Aponte as the team's new senior vice president of football operations and strategy.
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Aponte, 55, worked as an accountant with the New York Jets in the 1990s before transitioning to roles as both a salary cap analyst and a member of football administration.
She has also worked for the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins, in addition to serving as the NFL's chief administrator of football operations from 2017 to 2026.
Schoen, Harbaugh and Giants owner John Mara have acknowledged the change in the organizational structure and have given public comments on the matter.
John Mara
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New York Giants owner John Mara tweaked his org chart to accommodate for John Harbaugh's needs(Image: Getty Images)
Mara said on Harbaugh's power last month: "Well, I know that’s a big deal around here, final say.
"He doesn’t have final say. It’s collaborative. He was the first to admit that.
"If he had final say with everything in that building, he wouldn’t be able to do the job.
"So he’s going to be the most important cog in the wheel, let’s put it that way."
Schoen, meanwhile, said on the matter: "I’m not worried about it. That’s just something on a piece of paper, doesn’t matter.
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"We need to work together, and we’re gonna come to the final conclusion, and it’s always going to be about what's best for the New York Giants. So, I have no problem with that, and I’m looking forward to working with him.
"I’ve been in the league 26 years or so. Everywhere I’ve been, the head coach and general manager work together. That’s the only way it’s going to work... I’m not worried about it."
Habarugh continued: "I had high expectations for Joe, and I would say he’s lived up to those high expectations. We’ve worked really well together. We talk multiple, multiple times every day."