Big Blue View
The New York Giants have a monumental decision ahead of them.
They have a young, talented roster that has underperformed badly, helmed by an exciting rookie quarterback. The pieces could be in place for a “shock the world” turnaround in 2026 and beyond, but they need the right coach to put all the pieces together.
But who is the right coach? The Giants are expected to cast a wide net when their coaching search begins in earnest, and the opening is expected to be an exciting one that attracts the top candidates.
This week we asked the Big Blue View community which current coordinator with head coaching experience they would want to be the Giants’ next head coach.
The choices were:
In no great surprise, most Giants fans voted for a reunion with Steve Spagnuolo.
This was the expected result, and it almost wasn’t fair to have Spags among the options. However, given his connections to the city and franchise — not to mention the fact that he’s coached in 7 Super Bowls with 4 rings.
There’s also the possibility that Mike Kafka would agree to stay on as the Giants’ offensive coordinator under Spagnuolo. The two might have a preexisting reslationship after coaching on the same staff under Andy Reid at Kansas City. That could be an ideal outcome for Jaxson Dart and the Giants’ offense, who have played surprisingly well this year. Dart has exceeded expectations since being named the Giants’ starter back in Week 3, and hasn’t looked like the usual “rookie” quarterback. Likewise, the offense has punched well out of its weightclass, considering the injuries and overall talent level on that side of the ball.
If we take Spagnuolo out of the equation, things get a lot more competitive.
Kliff Kingsbury has a slight lead over Vance Joseph, which makes sense on both counts. Fostering Dart’s development is paramount for the Giants, as having a true Franchise Quarterback is one of the biggest drivers of sustained success in the NFL. Kingsbury is well regarded for how he molds his system around young quarterbacks while teaching them to be professionals.
Fans (well, some fans, at least) have expressed significant concerns regarding candidates’ records as head coaches. And while Kingsbury was fired after a 4-13 record in 2022, the Cardinals improved in each of his first three seasons as head coach. He went 5-10-1 in his first season, 8-8 in his second season, and then 11-6 in his third season (2021), which was the franchise’s best record since 2015 under Bruce Arians.
It also makes sense that a significant number of fans would be interested in Vance Joseph. The Giants’ defense has been a big pain point over the last couple years and has been severely disappointing this year despite some massive investments on that side...
