John Harbaugh hasn’t wasted any time putting his stamp on the New York Giants. Less than a week into his tenure as head coach - a role that comes with sweeping power over the football operation - Harbaugh is already reshaping the organization from the top down. And that includes making changes to some of the most entrenched figures in the building.
The latest move? Ronnie Barnes, the longtime head athletic trainer and a staple in the Giants’ organization since 1976, is stepping aside from his day-to-day role.
According to reports, Barnes, 73, will no longer serve as the team’s head trainer, though he’s not leaving the building entirely. He’ll remain involved in a senior capacity, still overseeing the medical services department.
His title - “senior vice president, medical services/head athletic trainer” - remains unchanged for now, but functionally, a new head trainer will be brought in underneath him.
That’s a seismic shift, considering Barnes has been the face of the Giants’ training room for more than four decades. He started as an intern, became the head trainer in 1980, and was inducted into the Giants’ Ring of Honor in 2022. Few people in the NFL have had that kind of longevity with one franchise, and his influence has extended far beyond the training room walls.
But Harbaugh, brought in on a five-year, $100 million deal, wasn’t hired just to coach - he was given the keys to the entire football operation. And he’s driving fast.
The reorganization of the training staff is just one piece of a broader overhaul. A day earlier, Harbaugh parted ways with longtime front office executive Kevin Abrams, who had been with the team since 1999 and once served as assistant GM. That move, too, signaled a clear message: Harbaugh is building this team his way, and tenure alone won’t guarantee anyone’s place.
Though Joe Schoen remains the general manager in name, it’s clear that Harbaugh holds the final say on football decisions. Ownership - led by John Mara, who continues to run the team’s daily operations while undergoing cancer treatment, alongside his brother Chris - has granted Harbaugh full control to reshape the organization as he sees fit.
Barnes’ reassignment may not be a firing in the traditional sense, but it’s a major shift nonetheless. He’ll still be around, still advising, still technically in charge of medical services. But the expectation is that Harbaugh will bring in his own people - likely with connections to his time in Baltimore - to lead a restructured training staff.
For a franchise that has long prided itself on continuity and loyalty, this marks a new era. Harbaugh is clearly not afraid to make bold decisions, even when it means moving on from Giants lifers. And if these early moves are any indication, the Giants’ future will look very different - and very Harbaugh - in the years to come.