The New York Giants are at risk of losing another coordinator this offseason with offensive coordinator Mike Kafka receiving heavy consideration from the Seattle Seahawks for their vacant head-coaching job. Kafka is having his second interview with the Seahawks on Wednesday, making his departure a strong possibility.
The Giants are already searching for their next defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator following the departures of Wink Martindale and Thomas McGaughey earlier this offseason. A potential hunt for a new offensive coordinator would only complicate things further for head coach Brian Daboll, however, this search might be the easiest of the three.
The Giants could fill their offensive coordinator position with a quick in-house promotion
A clear-cut candidate stands out for the Giants as their next potential offensive coordinator. The leading man for the job would be quarterbacks coach Shea Tierney. His promotion as the next offensive coordinator seems likely if Kafka does depart.
Tierney has been with the Giants since 2022, working under Daboll and Kafka as an assistant on the coaching staff. In his first year working with Tierney in 2022, QB Daniel Jones had the best season of his career, setting a Giants’ single-season completion percentage record of 67.2%.
Tierney has been working with Daboll since 2018 during their shared time with the Buffalo Bills. Daboll was the offensive coordinator in Buffalo from 2018 to 2021. Tierney was an offensive assistant on the Bills’ staff from 2018 to 2019 before being promoted to assistant quarterbacks coach for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. He then followed Daboll to New York in 2022 to serve as the Giants’ quarterbacks coach.
Considering his history working under Daboll, Tierney seems like the obvious choice to be next in line as Daboll’s offensive coordinator. He is a bright young mind who has received endless praise from coaches across New Jersey and Buffalo and seems prepared to take that next step into a larger role.
Tierney also received some play-calling experience during the 2023 season as Daboll handed those duties over to the quarterbacks coach amid Kafka’s struggles during the season. Tierney is also earning some experience as an offensive coordinator at the 2024 Reesee’s Senior Bowl. This would serve as another opportunity for Tierney to sharpen his skills and prepare to eventually take over a coordinator job in the NFL.
Who else could become a candidate for the offensive coordinator position?
If for whatever reason Tierney is not the pick for Daboll’s next offensive coordinator, there are some other candidates who could be considered. Namely, former Bills quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey.
The Bills fired Dorsey mid-way through the 2023 season but he should still stand out as a candidate for the Giants because of his connection to Daboll. New York had an interest in hiring him last offseason before ultimately deciding to hire Kafka instead. Now, with Kafka potentially on his way out, Dorsey could become a contender for the job once again.
Another finalist for the Giants’ offensive coordinator job in 2023 was Pep Hamilton, who served as the Houston Texans’ offensive coordinator in 2022. Hamilton was without a job this season but could become an intriguing target to be added to an offensive staff this offseason.
Daboll will need to prepare a list of potential replacements for Kafka in case he does land a promotion elsewhere. Coming off a historically bad offensive performance in 2023, fixing the Giants’ offense will be a top priority this offseason. Bringing in a new member of the coaching staff could be the solution to their problems.