Giants part with executive after John Harbaugh introduced as head coach
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The New York Giants have parted ways with a longtime top executive just a day after naming John Harbaugh as head coach.
Senior Vice President of Football Operations Kevin Abrams is leaving the organization. Abrams had been with the organization since 1999 and had held a front-office executive position since 2002, when he became assistant general manager.
Abrams has been at the top of the organization through numerous general manager and head coach firings over the past decade. Abrams’ tenure in the front office included four general managers and seven head coaches before Harbaugh, including a brief stint as interim GM in 2017.
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New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh speaks to the media after being introduced at a press conference at the team’s NFL football practice facility. The event took place on Tuesday, January 20, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Man Hunger/AP Photo)
Harbaugh’s arrival as head coach brought with it a different set of requirements than previous Giants coaches regarding the organizational structure and his own power to shape it.
Harbaugh will be the first Giants coach to report directly to team ownership, bypassing the long-standing team tradition of the coach reporting to the general manager.
Giants Senior Vice President of Player Personnel Chris Mara told reporters on Tuesday that Harbaugh would be the “most important cog in the wheel” for the organization right now, suggesting Harbaugh is a unique candidate with the power to negotiate that kind of power.
“He will be the most important cog in the wheel. Let’s put it that way. But in the final analysis, it will be a collaborative effort between the owner, the general manager and the coach,” Mara said.
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“We’re very comfortable doing it with him. I think if it had been with someone else it might not have happened this way. Everybody was on the same page, so we’re good.”
Harbaugh was confirmed in a post on Truth Social just days before he was hired by President Donald Trump for the Giants head coaching job. Trump also said in his confirmation that Harbaugh should “get the job.” Harbaugh acknowledged Trump’s support at an introductory press conference on Tuesday.
“It really feels great!” When asked by Fox News Digital how it felt to have the president’s support, Harbaugh said: “Also in that post, ‘John, get the job!’ I noticed you said. I thought too [owner] John Mara might have had something to do with it.”
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While speaking to Fox News Digital late Monday night, Trump praised Harbaugh and the Giants for their hire and hinted at a personal connection to the Harbaugh family.
“I love your coach. I love your brother too,” Trump said. “They came to see me about three months ago. They came to see me at the White House with their mom and dad because my mom loves me and my dad loves me and I think they like me too. And he’s a great coach and he’s going to do well with the Giants, just like his brother did. There’s something very special in their blood. And I’m happy for the Giants. They have a great coach.”
Fox News Digital’s Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report.
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