The New York Giants have officially fired head coach Pat Shurmur. The Giants hired Shurmur in 2018 after serving as the offensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings in 2017. In that same year, Shurmur won the AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year award.
It has been a disappointing two years with Pat Shurmur as the Giants’ head coach. New York finished the 2018 season with a 5-11 record. After promises of improvement heading into the 2019 season, the team disappointed fans further with a 4-12 record.
Pat Shurmur‘s time as head coach of the Giants comes to an end with a 9-23 record; the same record Shurmur finished with after his two seasons as head coach of the Cleveland Browns (2011-2012). This lowly two-year span in New York includes a 9-game losing streak, which is tied for the worst in franchise history. Giants fans have officially gotten their wish and can now look ahead to the top head-coaching candidates.
What’s Next?
The New York Giants will now begin the process of searching for a new head coach. There are other head coaching vacancies around the league, including the Washington Redskins, the Carolina Panthers, and the Cleveland Browns. The Giants will be competing with these teams and others for the top coach candidates.
Among these candidates are a couple of retreads and a few first-timers. From experienced winners like Ron Rivera and Mike McCarthy to top offensive and defensive coordinators like Josh McDaniels and Robert Saleh, there are plenty of coaching options within the NFL. But there are also coaching options in the college realm, such as Baylor head coach Matt Rhule and Oklahoma’s Lincoln Riley.
It will be necessary for the Giants to find a candidate that will aid in the development of Daniel Jones. The Giants’ franchise quarterback just finished his rookie season and will need the right coaching staff in place to help him improve in his sophomore season.
The Giants’ record over the last three seasons is a pathetic 12-36. Ownership is feeling the pressure to turn things around and get back to winning. Pat Shurmur is the second head coach to be fired by the Giants in the past three years. Fans can only hope that 2020 is the year that the New York Giants hire the right guy and get themselves back on track.