John Harbaugh Jokes About Looking Younger Than Brother Jim as He Takes Over Giants

The new Giants head coach reflects on sibling rivalry and advice from their father as he begins a new chapter in New York.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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After 18 successful seasons as the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, John Harbaugh is now taking over as the new head coach of the New York Giants. In a recent interview, Harbaugh joked about his sibling rivalry with his younger brother Jim Harbaugh, the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, including a playful jab about looking younger than Jim.

Why it matters

The Harbaugh brothers have long been two of the NFL's most recognizable and successful head coaches, and their sibling rivalry has been a source of fascination for fans. John Harbaugh's move to the Giants represents a new chapter for him, as he looks to turn around a struggling franchise and continue his impressive coaching career.

The details

In the interview, John Harbaugh reflected on the advice their father, Jack Harbaugh, gave them early on: "You got to work really hard. You got to work harder than everybody else. Because I know you two guys, and you're really not that smart. You're probably not going to outsmart anybody. So you got to outwork people." Harbaugh acknowledged that his younger brother Jim is the "smartest guy I know" and the "smartest coach in the league." When asked what he does better than Jim, Harbaugh joked, "I beat him in golf the last time we played. But that was like 10 years ago. We refuse to play each other." Harbaugh's final quip was, "I look younger than Jim right now. Can we all agree on that?"

  • John Harbaugh spent 18 seasons as the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens.
  • Harbaugh is now taking over as the new head coach of the New York Giants.

The players

John Harbaugh

The new head coach of the New York Giants, who previously spent 18 seasons as the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, where he won a Super Bowl title and compiled a 180-113 regular-season record.

Jim Harbaugh

The head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers and John Harbaugh's younger brother, who John Harbaugh jokingly says is the "smartest guy I know" and the "smartest coach in the league."

Jack Harbaugh

The father of John and Jim Harbaugh, who provided the brothers with the advice to "work really hard" and "outwork people" since they "really not that smart" and "probably not going to outsmart anybody."

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What they’re saying

“You got to work really hard. You got to work harder than everybody else. Because I know you two guys, and you're really not that smart. You're probably not going to outsmart anybody. So you got to outwork people.”

— Jack Harbaugh, Father of John and Jim Harbaugh

“Jim's the smartest guy I know. Jim's the smartest. He's the smartest coach in the league. Total credit to Jim for smarts … street smarts, emotional smarts. Knows how to make a statement, make people feel a certain way.”

— John Harbaugh

“I beat him in golf the last time we played. But that was like 10 years ago. We refuse to play each other.”

— John Harbaugh

“I look younger than Jim right now. Can we all agree on that?”

— John Harbaugh

What’s next

As Harbaugh assembles his experienced coaching staff in New York, the Giants will be positioning themselves to compete in the challenging NFC East division.

The takeaway

The Harbaugh brothers' sibling rivalry remains intact, even as John Harbaugh embarks on a new chapter with the Giants. Their father's advice to 'outwork people' has clearly shaped the brothers' successful coaching careers, with John now looking to apply that same work ethic to turning around the Giants franchise.