Sportsnaut
The speculation that has raged for months has finally been put to bed as the New York Giants fired head coach Brian Daboll today.
After a pair of losing seasons, including going 3-14 last year, Giants head coach Brian Daboll was in arguably the hottest seat in the NFL. There was little doubt that this was a make-or-break season for the 50-year-old. Following another ugly loss in Week 10 against the Chicago Bears and falling to 2-8, it seemed like it was a matter of time before he was ousted.
Well, that came on Monday morning, and in a rare move by the Giants, the organization fired Daboll in-season after going 20-40-1 in three and a half years with the team. Offensive coordinator and assistant head coach Mike Kafka will fill in as the interim HC for the rest of the season. But who will be the next full-time head coach of the Giants? We look to answer that question.
Beloved Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has a history with the Giants. He served as DC for Big Blue two different times, including in the year they stunned the New England Patriots to win the 2008 Super Bowl. After failing as the head coach of the then-St. Louis Rams 15 years ago, the 65-year-old has never gotten a second shot at a full-time job. The organization could be interested because of his links to not only their ’08 title team, but by being a key part of the Chiefs’ recent dynasty team. The organization will want someone linked to a history of winning.
Speaking of winning, no one understands it better than college football icon Nick Saban. The man who has won seven National Championships is currently retired, but there have been rumblings that he would be open to a return to the sidelines. However, the new NIL era of CFB doesn’t fit the 74-year-old. Trying one more time to exercise the NFL demons with a team he was once an assistant for early in his career is the sort of splashy move New York loves.
There is a real possibility that New York wants someone with some head coach experience to replace Daboll. That is why Green Bay Packers DC Jeff Hafley is an intriguing option. Beyond helping turn the Packers defense around and making them a dominant force the last two seasons, the 47-year-old formerly oversaw Boston College’s football program. It’s not NFL head coaching experience, but he has led a program, is young, and has a good resume in a prominent job in the pros.
After being forced out of New England in 2023, Bill Belichick badly wanted to return to the NFL. However, he had few interested teams. Instead, he went to North Carolina earlier this year, and that decision has been a disaster thus far. He...
