Dawn Aponte will report to John Harbaugh, NBC Sports reports, signaling a clear shift in how the Giants are operating from the top down.
Over the past weeks, the Giants have reshaped their leadership structure: they granted new head coach John Harbaugh a direct reporting line that bypasses general manager Joe Schoen and goes straight to ownership. The organization then parted ways with longtime executive Kevin Abrams, who served as senior vice president of football operations and strategy, and followed up with Friday’s news that Dawn Aponte, formerly NFL chief football administrative officer, will become the Giants’ new senior vice president of football operations and strategy.
Ian O’Connor of The Athletic notes that Aponte’s reporting line will place her under Harbaugh, underscoring Harbaugh’s expanding influence within the Giants’ hierarchy.
Aponte’s responsibilities are deeply administrative and strategic rather than coaching-focused. According to the team, she will oversee strategic planning for football operations, analytics, salary-cap management, player contract negotiations, compliance, and coordination with both college and pro personnel departments.
In practical terms, Aponte will serve as Harbaugh’s daily liaison to Schoen and the rest of the staff, ensuring Harbaugh’s directives are carried out while he concentrates on coaching. She will also provide ongoing assessment of Schoen’s performance to determine whether he is meeting Harbaugh’s standards.
As of now, Harbaugh has expressed satisfaction with Schoen.
“I had high expectations for Joe, and I’d say he’s lived up to those high expectations,” Harbaugh told O’Connor. “We’ve worked really well together. We talk multiple times every day, and many issues come up—like evaluating newly hired analysts or negotiating with other teams for permission to speak with candidates. Joe has proven to be a smart judge of tactics and situations.”
Those remarks reflect Harbaugh’s collaborative, hands-on approach after a month of working closely with Schoen. With Aponte in the mix, the Giants will continue to monitor whether Schoen meets Harbaugh’s elevated bar.
What happens next is still uncertain. If Schoen keeps delivering as Harbaugh and Aponte expect, he’ll stay on as GM. If either Harbaugh or Aponte determines that Schoen isn’t up to par, the Giants could usher in a new GM.
