EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Brian Daboll is no longer the New York Giants head coach. He was fired last week. Joe Schoen remains as the team's general manager.
The Giants elected to separate the two. It's not a complete surprise since owner John Mara said they weren't a package deal in 2024. He justified it by explaining that they had different jobs with completely unique requirements.
Schoen's primary job responsibility is to assemble the team. Daboll's was to coach it. Indisputably, neither have done a good enough job because during their tenure, the Giants (2-8) haven't won much in three straight years.
Still, Schoen has done enough to convince ownership there is a young core in place, beginning with rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart. They have a No. 1 wide receiver in Malik Nabers, a standout left tackle with Andrew Thomas, quality running backs in Cam Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy Jr. and some quality pass rushers with Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter.
The overall roster might not be strong enough to produce the desired results this season, but it's something for any new coach to work with moving forward.
"We feel like Joe has assembled a good young nucleus of talent, and we look forward to its development," Mara said in the statement released by the team after Daboll's firing.
Tucked into that statement was that Schoen would remain and "lead the search for a new head coach."
While there have been some whispers about Schoen's status being tenuous, his contract runs through 2026, multiple league sources who have spoken to the Giants believe he is likely to remain unless there is a strong head coaching candidate who wants to bring in his own general manager. Though, that seems unlikely considering Schoen is leading the search and compiling the list of candidates.
Splitting the head coach and general manager and having them on separate timelines might not be ideal. There are plenty of instances (including in New York with the Jets and Giants in recent years) that misaligned management has failed -- most recently with the Giants leaving general manager Dave Gettleman as a holdover from Pat Shurmur's time as coach and pairing him with Joe Judge.
There are also some recent dynamics (such as the New England Patriots and Chicago Bears this year) that seem to be working. The Giants appear hopeful they can follow suit with the mismatched approach of Schoen and a new coach.
It's not like they won't have options. One source with intimate knowledge of the opening described the Giants job as "highly coveted" due to it's young core and -- they are the New York Giants, still a marquee franchise. It was a sentiment also shared by several other agents with candidates who are interested in the position.
By firing Daboll with seven remaining, it provides the Giants a head start to the process. Among those who league sources expect to be involved in the search for the Giants are Schoen, Chris Mara, John Mara, Steve Tisch and Tim McDonnell. John Mara and Tisch are likely to oversee the search. Schoen is expected to compile the list of candidates with input from others.
All except Schoen are ownership. McDonnell is the nephew of Chris and John Mara and the team's director of player personnel. McDonnell is not new to the coaching pursuit -- he texted with Brian Flores in 2022, then a candidate for the Giants head coaching job that eventually went to Daboll, during their previous search.
The same group of multiple league sources who have spoken to the Giants believe they are looking for a head coach who can "command the room." Someone who can oversee the operation and develop a sustainable culture. Previous head coaching experience (whether at the collegiate or professional level) is preferred. It might be necessary in part because of the difficulty of the New York market and the setup of the Giants organization.
Among those that seem destined for interviews are Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo and former Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce, according to a league source. All three have past connections to the Giants organization.
But the search won't exclusively be limited to those with Giants connections. It's early but the process, but there are some names who have been mentioned in conversations with people around the league, including some combination of top coordinators (Chargers' Jesse Minter, Rams' Chris Shula and Packers' Jeff Hafley are names to watch) and former head coaches such as Mike McCarthy, Jon Gruden, Matt Nagy and Vance Joseph.
Also keep an eye on the outside possibility of college coaches such as Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman and Iowa State's Matt Campbell, who is someone multiple sources said the Giants have done background work on in recent years, entering the mix.
Then there is always a possibility that someone currently coaching at the NFL level shakes free. Should someone such as Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin, Baltimore's John Harbaugh or Cleveland's Kevin Stefanski become available for one reason or another, it is expected to attract the attention of any organization with an opening, especially a team in a situation such as New York's in which they would covet a program builder with a track record of success.
The Giants have tried a variety of different types of coaches with Mara running point. There was the young coordinator in Ben McAdoo, the "adult in the room" with Shurmur (who came with previous head coaching experience), the ultimate leader who could speak to the entire team in Judge and another first-team head coach/coordinator with Daboll. None were the answer.
As the person running point, it's Schoen's mission to find the right coach for the job this time around. He has seven more weeks to finalize the list.