The New York Giants are in the middle of another disappointing season. At 2-9, fans are fed up with the Giants’ losing ways and are pointing blame towards the team’s head coach Pat Shurmur. Shurmur has led the Giants to 7 wins in the past two seasons, so the criticism is warranted.
It is not just the fans mulling head coach replacement options. The Giants’ organization is considering it too. In fact, co-owners Mara and Tisch have penciled down two potential head coach options if they do decide to fire Pat Shurmur after this season.
Jason Garrett
One of the most shocking Giants reports in recent memory is their reported interest in Dallas Cowboys’ head coach Jason Garrett. It seems more and more likely every week that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones will be moving on from his head coach this offseason, and apparently, the Giants would be interested in signing him if that were to happen.
Jerry Jones and the Cowboys’ front office has done an incredible job building the Cowboys’ roster in recent years. The team has its franchise quarterback Dak Prescott as well as 6 First-Team All-Pros on the roster and numerous Pro Bowlers. A roster this talented should have seen some legitimate playoff success by now, but under head coach Jason Garrett it has not.
Garrett has been the head coach of the Cowboys since 2010. Dallas has been in and out of the playoffs through the years and has not reached a Super Bowl with Garrett at the helm. Jerry Jones’s patience is running thin, which could lead to him firing Garrett this offseason unless the Cowboys somehow manage to win a Super Bowl this year.
This begs the question, why are the Giants interested in Jason Garrett? Well, he would be the most experienced head coach candidate this offseason. Additionally, he has been to the playoffs three times in the last five years (though he has never made it past the Divisional Round).
Experience would be the Giants’ main reason for hiring Garrett. The former offensive coordinator has had a top ten offense seven times in the past thirteen years, and only three seasons with an offense ranked worse than the fifteenth. The Giants could see Garrett as a potential upgrade on offense.
Matt Rhule
The Giants’ next candidate is Baylor head coach Matt Rhule. Rhule is a New York native with ties to the Giants’ organization. In 2012, Rhule was the Giants’ assistant offensive line coach. He was then hired as the head coach of Temple before being appointed as the head coach of Baylor in 2017.
Matt Rhule has spent significant time as a coach on both sides of the ball. He is a well-rounded and intelligent coach that could help the Giants improve their offense and their defense. “The players on the team feel like I’m the head coach, not an offensive head coach,â€Â Matt Rhule said.
The Giants’ past two head coaches have been offensive. Ben McAdoo did not last more than two seasons, and it looks like Pat Shurmur could be headed down the same unfortunate path. The Giants would benefit tremendously from a head coach to manage and understand both sides of the ball. Matt Rhule would be an excellent fit in that role with experience as a quarterbacks coach and a linebackers coach.