Black Monday has come and gone and we now have six NFL head coaching vacancies to fill — Raheem Morris (Falcons), Kevin Stefanski (Browns), Jonathan Gannon (Cardinals), Pete Carroll (Raiders), Brian Callahan (Titans), and Brian Daboll (Giants) have all been sacked.
Below, we’ll take a look at the New York Giants, who let go of their head coach Brian Daboll back in November. He finished his tenure with a 20-40-1 record and had gone 11-33 over these last two and half seasons. That’s bottom of the barrel right there. The Giants assistant head coach, Mike Kafka, took over as interim head coach to finish out the season.
The team did keep general manager Joe Schoen, as they like what he’s done with personnel, but not how Daboll used that personnel. New York does have a strong group on the defensive line, while Malik Nabers will return from his injury and rookie QB Jaxson Dart and RB Cam Skattebo did show some life this season.
Brian Flores (Vikings defensive coordinator)
The Giants really could use a defensive mind to whip their talented defense into shape and Flores would be perfect for the job. His ability to scheme defenses into pressuring the quarterback is the best in the league right now. And last season, even with a rookie quarterback, they managed to score 22.4 points per game, putting them around league average, but their defense just couldn’t get the job done despite talent.
There are plenty of good defensive minds to choose from, but Flores, along with the Broncos Vance Joseph, and the Chiefs Steve Spagnuolo, have the experience of head coaching, while also being able to elevate the defense. In the end, I’d love to see Flores get the job and make a great hire at offensive coordinator.
Kevin Stefanski (former Browns head coach)
Stefanski will likely be seen around the league as getting a raw deal in Cleveland. His six year tenure didn’t turn out like he would have wanted, but in context, he’s one of the best coaches the team has had in the modern era. He comes from the Mike Shanahan/Gary Kubiak coaching tree, which continues to hold relevance in the league.
The Giants might be the best job out there right now, as the team does have talent across the board. Of course, taking on a losing team comes with headaches and QB Jaxson Dart hasn’t proven he’s the answer at quarterback yet. New York is of course a major market and if Stefanski can turn things around there, he’s cemented his name in the NFL history books. He looks like the frontrunner at this point, if he wants the job.
Mike McCarthy (Former Cowboys/Packers HC)
McCarthy doesn’t quite fit the bill if a team is looking for someone new and exciting to pump up the fan base, but you also can’t quibble too much with his results as a head coach — 185 wins, 123 losses, and 2 ties, with a 11-11 playoff record, including a Super Bowl win with the Packers. His record with the Packers was 125-77-2 and 49-35 with the Cowboys.
He’s a proven winner, but doesn’t bring much innovation to the table. His hire would likely be seen as the same old, same old. But, there really aren’t many home run options out there in this hiring cycle. I’d still rather go with someone who has some untapped potential.
Klint Kubiak (Seahawks offensive coordinator)
Kubiak has the name recognition, but now he has some real-life accomplishments to show to prospective employers. The Seahawks quickly become one of the most efficient passing offenses in the league under Kubiak and QB Sam Darnold. Sure, Darnold has proven he can be a good quarterback, but he’s also proven that he needs good coaching to get him through some rough patches and Kubiak has seemingly been that coach this year.
Jaxson Dart has potential, but he needs someone like Kubiak to put him in the best possible spot to succeed. If the Giants really want to help Dart, Kubiak makes a lot of sense.
Lou Anarumo (Colts defensive coordinator)
Anarumo has close ties to GM Joe Schoen, and got an interview for the job Daboll ended up getting. They worked together in Miami and Anarumo spent a season as defensive backs coach with the Giants. Anarumo is known for his malleable defensive game plans to slow down opposing quarterbacks. And, he just helped elevate the Colts defense this season, but numerous injuries hurt their overall numbers.
