The New York Giants are seeking a new head coach who can maximize the “young nucleus of talent” that their roster possesses. While they would ideally prefer to hire a head coach with some prior experience, one rising coordinator could be an attractive option to reset their culture and turn their defense into an absolute juggernaut.
The Giants could take a massive swing on a rising head coach candidate
Among the candidates that the Giants are rumored to be interested in is Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula. The 39-year-old is viewed as a rising star in the league and primed to become the NFL’s next head coach.
Shula is currently manning the elite Rams’ defense that has found a way to maximize talent at every level. The defense features a mix of high draft picks, late-round draft picks, undrafted players, and free-agent acquisitions.
Despite not having an overwhelming amount of resources invested into the unit, it is still arguably the best defense in the NFL. The Rams are allowing just 17.5 points per game this season, the second-best mark in the league.
Since Shula has taken over the defense as Raheem Morris left the Rams for the Falcons’ head coaching job, their defense has shifted and evolved into a suffocating force. Shula’s talent was on display down the stretch of the 2024-25 postseason, and with the playoffs around the corner, the Rams’ defensive unit is not one that NFC competitors want to face in January.
Chris Shula: Sean McVay’s Top Protege
Although he doesn’t have head coaching experience, there are reasons to believe Shula projects well into that role.
Shula is considered Rams HC Sean McVay’s top protege. McVay is one of the best and most successful head coaches in the league right now, and he thinks highly of Shula, his top assistant and one of his closest friends. McVay spoke on Shula’s success recently, praising the coordinator’s attention to detail.
“…I think what’s really cool is he’s had a chance to coach on all three levels. He and I are so connected in regard to how we see the game and how we believe the game should be played, from an offensive, a defensive and really just a holistic perspective,” McVay said of Shula.
“…When I opened up the competition, he earned the job. He did a great job with his interview. He has done a great job, I think, of really being able to collaborate with his coaching staff. Chris will be the first to tell you, ‘This is a collective effort.’ You hear the headsets on game day and what a phenomenal job he and our defensive coaches do of collaborating to try to be able to put our guys in good positions throughout the game and having a feel for all what’s needed. ‘How do we want to play that? What’s their approach?’ He’s a stud.”
Jay Glazer of Fox Sports recently reported that McVay has done more to prepare Shula for a head coaching job than he has for all of his previous coaches combined.
“Of all the coaches that Sean McVay has kind of pushed along to be a new head coach, and the next head coach, he’s done more with Chris Shula than all of them combined,” Glazer said. “These two guys are best friends; they went to college together.”
Shula has been on McVay’s staff in a variety of roles for nine seasons now. He has spent the last season and this season as the defensive coordinator.
Shula could revamp the Giants’ defense overnight
The Giants’ defense is one of the most expensive in the NFL. They have invested countless resources into it, spending premier draft picks on players like Abdul Carter, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Deonte Banks, signing high-priced free agents like Jevon Holland, Bobby Okereke, and Paulson Adebo, and extending in-house talents like Dexter Lawrence and Brian Burns (who they also traded a top-50 pick to acquire).
Yet, despite their efforts, the Giants’ defense ranks 30th in the league for the second consecutive season. The unit is constantly underperforming. Defensive coordinator Shane Bowen was fired mid-season.
The talent is clearly there, though, evidenced by the resources poured in and the flashes of impressive play the Giants’ defense has had throughout this season. Shula could maximize that talent.
His ability to scheme together pressures, confuse quarterbacks with disguised coverage looks, and play to his players’ strengths make him one of the best defensive coaches in the game.
There are still question marks about Shula’s ability to lead the entire team, but if the Giants want to fix their defense overnight, Shula should be near the top of their head coach candidates list.
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