The New York Giants made a massive change on Monday morning, firing head coach Brian Daboll after another frustrating 2-8 start to the season.
Offensive coordinator and assistant head coach Mike Kafka will take over as the team’s interim head coach for the remainder of the season — a move that the Giants’ organization is hoping will bring about more stability.
Giants hoping Mike Kafka brings stability as interim HC
ESPN’s Jordan Raanan revealed more information about the Giants’ firing of Daboll and their feelings toward interim head coach Mike Kafka.
“A much more even-keeled and consistent personality than highly charged Daboll,” Raanan explained. “Kafka doesn’t have an overpowering presence, but those who interviewed him for head coaching openings considered him confident with a sound process.
“That could be welcomed by the Giants with Daboll often considered all over the place. The offense should also add some more elements from what Kafka ran in Kansas City with Patrick Mahomes.”
Daboll was a notoriously erratic personality during his tenure as Big Blue’s head coach. He had been consistently fiery and animated on the sidelines while arguing with referees, players, and coaches alike.
This intense nature of Daboll’s character inevitably led to strained relationships, like that of former defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, who resigned from his position after tensions rose with Daboll.
Kafka will now have an opportunity to audition himself as a worthwhile head coaching candidate to the Giants and other teams across the league as he positions himself to be presented as a stabilizing force in the organization.
Kafka has played an integral role in Jaxson Dart’s development
The chief priority for the Giants as they close out the remaining seven games of this season will be to continue the development of rookie QB Jaxson Dart. Elevating Kafka into the interim head coach role will help them achieve that goal.
Kafka has been critical in Dart’s rapid development this season as the offense’s playcaller and the “voice [Dart] hears most during games,” as Raanan described.
The Giants hired Kafka as their offensive coordinator in large part for his role in developing Patrick Mahomes while he was the quarterbacks coach of the Kansas City Chiefs from 2018 to 2021.
Dart has gotten off to a hot start in his career and looks the part of a franchise quarterback. Now the Giants will figure out how large a role Daboll had to play in that development, and how good Dart can be independent of his former head coach.
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