The New York Giants have gone 9-23 under David Gettlemen and have recently fired coach Pat Shurmur. During this time, they’ve seen plenty of talent players walk out the door and there are reports many coaches are not interested in the position should Gettlemen retain his job as general manager.
Speaking about the head coaching search, John Mara (president and CEO of the New York Giants) explained what he’s looking for in their next head coach:
“I’m really looking for leadership, that’s the big thing going forward. Somebody who can come in and take control of this roster, help build a culture that is going to lead to winning. Somebody who is going to help us with our football re-organization during the process we’re undergoing right now. We’re looking for all those qualities from the next candidate.”
This list of candidates isn’t exactly focused on which potential coach has the best ability to lead. Leadership is a quality that most, if not all coaches have and it’s not something we can really grade. Instead, I’ve decided to list the top candidates for the job and their ability to lead the Giants back to the promise land.
Mike McCarthy
Mike McCarthy’s time in Green Bay ended pretty badly. In 13 seasons with the Packers, McCarthy led the Pack to 9 playoff appearances and won a Superbowl. That being said, towards the end of his tenure the offense got stale and there was a clear rift between him and Aaron Rodgers. Only a season later, Rodgers is thriving with Matt Lafleur’s and the Packers are again one of the favorites to win the Superbowl. Mike McCarthy will get plenty of interviews and now the only question remains, can he work with David Gettlemen.
Lincoln Riley
Lincoln Riley has proven to be very successful in the NCAA and recently got offered a lucrative new contracted paying him 6 million a season. His inventive offences are intriguing, but he is still 36 years old and shouldn’t be in a rush to move to the NFL. At the moment, his departure from Oklahoma is unrealistic but the idea of coaching an offence spearheaded by so much young talent could convince him to move onto bigger and better things.
Greg Roman
Greg Roman is quickly becoming a coveted head coaching option for many teams around the league. So much so that even the Browns reched out to Lamar Jackson’s dismay. This would be a no-brainer hire, Greg Roman has crafted some of the most inventive offences in the NFL. Of course, much of this was due to having mobile QBs such as Colin Kaepernick or Lamar Jackson, but the results speak for themselves. Greg Roman did have a very short stint as head coach of the Buffalo Bills (2015-2016), but since then he’s solidified his position as an inventive coach that knows how to spread out an offense. Something the G-Men can use with young talents like Jones and Barkley.
Jason Garrett
I will say this right now, I’m not a fan of Jason Garrett. I believe that he completely underperformed in his time as head coach of the Cowboys. Many believed that he wasted Dez Bryant’s prime and was best known for his incessant clapping. That being said, the Cowboys did win the NFC East three out of the last five years and has a solid career record (87-70). Statistically Garrett should be considered for many jobs in the NFL, but his lack of playoff success should give teams plenty of doubt as to whether he could improve a roster. The Cowboys had an excellent team this year and very little reason to perform THIS poorly. Regardless, Jason Garrett would fit the Giants culture very well and he has proven to be the perfect puppet for upper management. While the Giants could do worse… they could do far better. If offered this position, Garrett would salivate at the prospect of sticking it to Jerry Jones twice a year. What’s better than that?
Matt Rhule (The Pops pick)
While compiling this list, I decided to give my father a vote. Growing up the son of a Giants fan, I’ve seen my father sweat through Superbowl victories but also endure some really tough seasons. Hearing my dad shout “GOD DAMN IT ELI” from the living room was a staple in our household. My father was also one of the few people out there that had faith in Daniel Jones when he was drafted. I thought it was only fair to let my Pops choose the next head coach of the New York Giants.
Matt Rhule might actually be the best candidate for the job. After a strong run at Temple University, he decided to take over at Baylor University. A program that had been soaked in sexual assault scandals under Art Briles. Matt Rhule has completely changed the fortunes of this program leading them to an 11-3 record (8-1 Conf). Additionally, Matt Rhule is no stranger to NFL attention. Last year, Rhule was interviewed for the both the Jets and Colts head coaching vacancies. While not hired, he was considered a strong candidate for both jobs. Matt Rhule is also tied to the Giants organization, in 2012 he was the assistant offensive line coach. Having experience working with Tom Coughlin and being familiar with this organization should make Matt Rhule a top candiadate for this job. Furthermore, it’s clear that John Mara and David Gettlemen are both looking for coaches that are also leaders in the locker room. Should this be the case, Matt Rhule has proven to be a leader and someone who is capable of pulling a program out of adversity. Giants… listen to Pops, he knows what’s best.
So there you have it. It’s a short list but there are some solid candidates in there. If you have any suggestions on who should have made the list, please feel free to add your comments on our facebook or Instagram posts!