Every coaching cycle comes with a few names that rise quietly at first, then start echoing around the league once evaluators get past the surface. Chris Shula has become one of those names. And as the New York Giants begin another search for stability, vision, and leadership, it’s no surprise he’s already drawing attention inside league circles.
Why Shula’s background matters more than people realize
Shula’s last name inevitably grabs headlines, but the more interesting part of his story has nothing to do with legacy. It’s how he’s climbed. The Rams hired him in 2017 as a defensive quality control coach, and over the next eight years under Sean McVay, he worked his way through almost every defensive room on the staff. Linebackers coach. Outside linebackers coach. Pass rush coordinator. Then a jump to defensive coordinator in 2024.
It wasn’t a ceremonial promotion.
Los Angeles lost stars, cycled through role players, and dealt with a defense built with more undrafted starters than most teams would dare rely on. Yet the Rams didn’t collapse. They sharpened.
This season, Shula’s unit has become one of the toughest, most disciplined defenses in football. They stop the run with structure and patience. They cover with modern spacing concepts that mimic what the league’s smartest offensive staffs are using. And they do it without a roster filled with blue-chip talent.
One first-round pick. Four undrafted starters. No problem.
What the Giants can take from his work with the Rams
The Giants’ defensive identity has been shaky over the past few seasons, swinging from aggressive to passive, often depending on injuries or whatever crisis was at their doorstep. What Shula has built with the Rams is the opposite: a system that has a clear vision and elevates whoever steps on the field.
Players praise his ability to communicate. Coaches rave about his preparation. McVay trusts him to make adjustments on the fly, and the Rams’ defensive cohesion shows it. They play fast, but not reckless. They play physical, but not panicked.
That’s exactly the brand of football the Giants keep trying to rediscover.
The leadership element the Giants have been missing
Reports around the league consistently point to one thing the New York Giants want: a leader. Someone players buy into. Someone who grows the staff rather than burns it down. Someone who stays ahead of the league instead of chasing what worked three years ago.
Brian Daboll’s downfall wasn’t a single decision. It was the stagnation. His offense didn’t evolve. His staff didn’t develop. The team didn’t grow around him.
Shula is built from the opposite mold. Being around McVay for nearly a decade means he’s lived inside an environment that treats innovation as a requirement. Not a luxury. Not a buzzword. A daily expectation.
He’s known for being calm in pressure situations, calculated with adjustments, and relatable in the locker room.
The risk the Giants will weigh
Hiring a first-time head coach is always a gamble. You don’t know how they handle the full spotlight until they’re in it. You don’t know how they manage a staff until the first losing streak hits. And the Giants may lean toward someone with head-coaching experience simply because the last few experiments have flamed out badly.
But there’s also a reality they can’t avoid: the league is being reshaped by coaches who learned under the game’s brightest minds. Kyle Shanahan’s tree. McVay’s coaching factory. These staffs breed modern thinkers who understand today’s game at its fastest speed.
Chris Shula fits that mold.
If the Giants want to move forward, this is the type of swing that gets them there
The New York Giants need more than a name. They need someone who can change the standard inside the building. Someone who knows how to develop talent, not just inherit it. Someone who has proven he can elevate less-than-perfect personnel and build a defense around structure, not luck.
Shula checks every one of those boxes.
If the Giants want a coach who brings modern ideas and a steady hand, this is the kind of hire that pushes them in that direction. And while risk is unavoidable, there’s also a chance that Chris Shula’s first head-coaching opportunity becomes the pivot point the Giants have been searching for.
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