The New York Giants are once again searching for a new head coach after firing Pat Shurmur on “Black Monday.” It was time for a change as the Giants went a pathetic 9-23 under Pat Shurmur. New York has fired two head coaches in four years and needs to make sure they hire the right guy this offseason.
Currently, the Giants’ top two candidates are Matt Rhule and Mike McCarthy. These are two excellent head coaching candidates that are tremendously different from each other. But it is no guarantee that the Giants will;l be able to land one of these candidates. McCarthy had a successful interview with the Dallas Cowboys and Matt Rhule is happy with his job at Baylor.
If these two candidates do not get the Giants’ job there is no reason to panic. Luckily for the Giants, there are numerous solid head coach candidates available this offseason. Don “Wink” Martindale should be the next name on the Giants’ list because of his success in the NFL and his intriguing potential offensive coordinator.
Don “Wink” Martindale
The Baltimore Ravens’ top-tier defense has been led by defensive coordinator Don Martindale. Don, nicknamed “Wink,” has been serving as the Ravens’ defensive coordinator since the 2018 season. In 2018, Martindale’s unit ranked first in the league in total defense yards per game at 292.9 yards. The Ravens followed up an impressive 2018 season with the fourth-ranked defense this season, allowing 300.6 yards per game, forcing the eighth-most turnovers (25), and surrendered just 17.6 points per game, the third-least in the league.
Martindale’s coaching career began in 1986. He has worked as a linebackers coach for the Raiders, Broncos, and Ravens, and has coached the likes of Wesley Woodyard, Terrell Suggs, Ray Lewis, C.J. Mosley, Za’Darius Smith, and more. He also served as defensive coordinator of multiple college teams, as well as the Denver Broncos.
“Wink” has found great success in recent years, leading him to head coach consideration this offseason. Martindale has tons of experience as a defensive coach in the NFL, though he has never been a head coach before. However, Martindale seems fully prepared for a head coaching job- he even has his offensive coordinator picked out already.
Joe Brady
There are two Joe’s to know at LSU: Joe Burrow and Joe Brady. Burrow, the 2019 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, has been coached to greatness by Brady, LSU’s passing game coordinator/wide receiver coach. Joe Brady served as an offensive assistant for the New Orleans Saints from 2017 to 2018 before being promoted by LSU.
Joe Brady completely overhauled LSU’s offense, implementing a no-huddle spread attack that has helped lead Burrow to a record-breaking year (Sports Illustrated). His fast-paced, modern offense has done wonders for the number-one ranked college football team.
The idea of Don Martindale bringing Joe Brady up to the NFL as an offensive coordinator is highly intriguing. Brady does not have a ton of NFL experience but has proven himself as an excellent play-caller with LSU. Brady and Burrow achieved an incredible 5,208 passing yards and 56 touchdowns this season. With a young franchise quarterback in Daniel Jones, Giants fans should be excited by the possibility of pairing Jones with Joe Brady.