Jeremy Shockey Says Giants Need A Champ, And John Harbaugh’s The Guy

Jeremy Shockey has never been bashful ... and his message to the New York Giants is simple ... go get John Harbaugh!

The four-time Pro Bowl tight end -- who won a Super Bowl with the Giants in the 2007 season -- tells TMZ Sports the ex-Ravens coach would be his pick for the Big Apple.

“A coach of that caliber with that kind of pedigree and experience doesn’t come around often,” Shockey said, adding the G-Men shouldn’t be chasing “one-hit wonders” or rolling the dice on another untested hire.

Instead, he pointed straight at Harbaugh’s résumé, calling him “a champion and a winner” while stressing the key point -- he's available.

Translation? Shockey thinks they'd be crazy not to pull the trigger.

Of course, the NYG aren't the only org on the hunt for a new coach. In fact, one-fourth of the NFL is on the hunt for a new leader, and Harbaugh is atop most everybody's wish lists for the reasons Shockey laid out.

That said, the Giants are arguably the most attractive job out there. They have a promising young core with quarterback Jaxson Dart -- who cameras caught addressing the coaching search last week -- and running back Cam Skattebo, who Shockey thinks shares similarities with himself.

“I’m big fans of both of them, and I’m excited to be a Giants fan myself,” he said.

We also spoke with Shockey about his Canes leading up to their College Football Playoff championship game against the Indiana Hoosiers.

The U hasn't won a title since Shockey was an All-American during the 2000 season ... something he believes will soon change.