Giants finalize deal to make John Harbaugh head coach — here’s how they got it done

The Giants punched it in from the goal line.

The franchise and John Harbaugh agreed to a deal Saturday to make him the team’s next head coach, The Post’s Ryan Dunleavy confirmed.

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The Giants aggressively pursued Harbaugh from the moment he parted ways with the Ravens after 18 distinguished seasons in Baltimore.

Harbaugh met with Giants leadership Wednesday at the team’s New Jersey facility and left without a deal, but the sides kept working toward finalizing a contract that would make him the 21st head coach in franchise history.

The wooing included a dinner at Elia Mediterranean Restaurant — a Greek restaurant in East Rutherford — with Giants owner Chris Mara and general manager Joe Schoen, who further cemented his place in the franchise by landing Harbaugh.

Owner Tim Salouros revealed to The Post’s Ryan Dunleavy that Harbaugh told him: “I’ll be back” before getting on a flight back to Baltimore.

The Post’s Paul Schwartz reported Wednesday night the two sides were close to a deal — that would become a reality hours later.

NFL Network reported the deal would be five years long.

Schwartz reported it might take as much as $20 million per year to reel in Harbaugh — and the Giants were comfortable going into that financial range.

Harbaugh ultimately canceled plans to meet with the Falcons and Titans, the other two finalists to land the coveted 63-year-old.

Harbaugh is expected to bring offensive coordinator Todd Monken and a handful of other assistants with him from Baltimore, while there are plenty of candidates to lead the defense.

He was axed by the Ravens last week after kicker Tyler Loop missed a game-winning field goal in the season finale against the rival Steelers, handing Pittsburgh the AFC North title and a spot in the playoffs.

“It was the craziest firing in the world,” Bisciotti said Tuesday. “I was the one choked up and he was the one consoling me.”

Now, the Giants and their fans are the ones who are all smiles after landing the top coach on the market.

The Giants used an all-out blitz to land Harbaugh, including a flight from Baltimore to New Jersey in co-owner Steve Tisch’s private plane and a visit from promising young quarterback Jaxson Dart during Wednesday’s visit.

The Giants fired Brian Daboll — who called Harbaugh this week to vouch for Schoen and the organization — after a 2-8 start to the season, including multiple late-game meltdowns.