Two years ago, the New York Giants took their sweet time finding a head coach to lead them into the future. In fact, they took so long, they were forced to settle on Pat Shurmur, letting all of the premium candidates slip away. Fast forward to the present day, and the Giants are reenacting their mistake from two years ago — failing to make a decision quickly and grab their guy.
Reality is striking quickly, as Ron Rivera has signed on with the Washington Redskins and Mike McCarthy with the Dallas Cowboys, two of the most proven coaches available this offseason. Now, the Giants have to make a decision, unless they already have.
The fact that the Giants didn’t pounce on McCarthy should tell us everything we need to know — they have their sights set elsewhere. With Matt Rhule preparing to interview on Tuesday, it’s becoming clear that the Giants have a preference, but they’re losing immense leverage with every passing day.
The New York Giants need to be prepared to give power to their next head coach:
It’s expected that Rhule will want more control of the team, which would force GM Dave Gettleman to take a step back and let the head coach implement his style. While we can speculate whether Rhule will want more control, the Giants still have to go through the formal interview process and find their man.
There are still quality candidates remaining, despite Rivera and McCarthy finalizing deals elsewhere. Kansas City Chiefs’ Eric Bieniemy remains a quality option (check out this article on him), Don “Wink” Martindale is also a potential fit, considering his defensive mentality.
I like the defensive-minded head coaches, opposite of what Shurmur brought to the Giants. It allows the offensive coordinator to have a more impactful role and focus on a single system, rather than trying to lead every unit with benevolence. The head coaching options this time around are far more systematic and grounded than Shurmur, who is known as the “quarterback whisperer.”
The development of Daniel Jones is something that Shurmur can be credited for. However, his coaching ability in-game was abysmal. Giants ownership will be looking to bring in a coach who can establish a sense of discipline and toughness.