The last time Joe Schoen searched for a head coach for the New York Giants, he interviewed five defensive coaches, including three who had been an NFL head coach before. The only other candidate on his list was Brian Daboll, his old friend, who, of course, got the job.
Now that the Giants general manager has fired Daboll after three-plus (mostly miserable) seasons, it’s too early to tell in which direction his second search will go. With young quarterback Jaxson Dart on board as the Giants’ most prized possession, though, it might make sense to lean toward an offensive mind. Then again, with the Giants’ terrible recent track records with first-time head coaches (Ben McAdoo, Joe Judge and Daboll), maybe an experienced coach is necessary, too.
Schoen surely has a list in mind already, and it will surely evolve over the next two months. But for now, here’s an informed but speculative look at 11 candidates (in no particular order) who could emerge as the Giants’ head coach next year.
Mike Kafka, Giants offensive coordinator
He gets the first chance to impress the Giants owners as the interim head coach for the next seven games. The Giants like him a lot. He’s been a finalist in recent years for head coaching jobs in Seattle, Arizona and New Orleans. And giving Dart some stability could be a really important factor, assuming Kakfa can show he knows how to win.
The idea of him and the Steelers parting ways has loomed for several years now, and if it ever happens, there’ll be a long line of teams waiting at his door. Don’t overlook the strong internal connections between the Giants and Steelers organizations, though. It certainly would make it easy to work out a trade or soft landing for him. And no, the Giants wouldn’t care that he hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016.
Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss HC
He’s the coach who turned Dart into a first-round pick, and he’s one of the best coaches and brightest offensive minds in the college game. Of course, his one NFL experience as a head coach was a disaster (5-15 with the Raiders in 2007-08). Because of that, it’s hard to believe the Giants will offer him what LSU or Florida likely will.
Bill Belichick, North Carolina HC
He has loomed over every Giants search since Tom Coughlin was fired, but he’s never really been more than a distant dream of fans of a certain age. He can still coach, but his reputation has certainly taken a big hit over the past few years. That and his age (73) make him less attractive than he used to be. Also, can you imagine willingly bringing Jordon Hudson, Belichick’s 24-year-old girlfriend, into New York with all the tabloids? That’s a distraction nobody wants or needs.
Mike McCarthy, former Packers/Cowboys HC
He’s a Super Bowl-winning coach with a stellar résumé and a knack for getting the most out of his offensive teams. He even managed three straight 12-win seasons in Dallas before his quarterback got hurt. His playoff record isn’t great, but at this point, shouldn’t the Giants be happy with a coach who could at least get them to the playoffs? Then worry about the rest.
He is a two-time NFL Coach of the Year, but he’s currently collapsing under the weight of the quarterback mess in Cleveland. The question will be: How much is he responsible for that? The Giants wanted him to be Pat Shurmur’s offensive coordinator in 2018, but the Vikings wouldn’t let him interview, and now his reputation as a quarterback whisperer isn’t what it was then. But his five-plus seasons in Cleveland do include two 11-win campaigns, which is an impressive feat considering the disaster the Browns organization is.
They could do a lot worse than plucking someone off the Andy Reid coaching tree. And he’s also got head coaching experience in a major market (2018-21 with Chicago), where he only had one losing season and went to the playoffs twice. They may not be able to get him away from the Tennessee Titans, though, where the Chiefs’ former assistant GM, Mike Borgonzi, now runs the football show and surely will have Nagy on his short list.
He helped Jayden Daniels to maybe the greatest season by a rookie quarterback ever, and might have landed a head coaching job if he hadn’t opted to stay in Washington another year instead. He should be in demand this offseason, too. He’s also got head coaching experience in Arizona that wasn’t all bad. The Cards were even 7-0 in his third season before the bottom fell out. He finished 28-37-1 from 2019 to 2022. He’s also still known as a very innovative offensive mind.
Klint Kubiak, Seattle Seahawks OC
It’s hard to find an offensive coordinator having a better year than the one this 38-year-old is having in Seattle with Sam Darnold at quarterback and basically one receiver (Jaxon Smith-Njigba). His lack of experience would work against him, but it’s good experience, including a year running the passing offense for Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco (2023).
Jeff Hafley, Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator
He’s going to be a very hot name on the market given the season the Packers defense is having. He’s also a New Jersey native and former Rutgers assistant. And while he’s never been an NFL head coach before, he was the head coach at Boston College for four years (2020-23). The ties between the Giants and B.C., where John Mara is an alum, are pretty deep, and sometimes that matters more than you’d think.
Schoen interviewed the former Bengals defensive coordinator before he hired Daboll, and multiple team sources said he left a strong impression. He’s a Staten Island native who understands New York. And after getting fired in Cincinnati, he’s had a strong, bounce-back season with the Indianapolis Colts. He was also the Giants DBs coach in 2018 and his son, Louis, is a pro scout in the Giants organization, so the organizational ties are there.
Ralph Vacchiano is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. He spent six years covering the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York, and before that, 16 years covering the Giants and the NFL for the New York Daily News. Follow him on Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.
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