The New York Giants have once again restructured their front office and coaching staff in hopes of finally getting things right.
Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll has been hired as the head coach — the Giants’ fifth since parting ways with Tom Coughlin in 2016 — and that means another new coaching staff is coming in the door as well.
Former Kansas City Chiefs quarterbacks coach Mike Kafka is the new offensive coordinator, while long-time Baltimore Ravens Assistant Don “Wink” Martindale has been hired to run the defense.
The special teams coordinator is a familiar face, however. Thomas McGaughey, who has been running the Giants’ special teams since 2018 and was their assistant coordinator from 2007-10, winning a Super Bowl, has been retained.
McGaughey was sought after by several teams this offseason but decided to stay with the Giants. He spoke with Giants’ play-by-play man Bob Papa recently about his return.
“This organization has been really good for me and family. I’m a Giant for life. I had other opportunities but couldn’t wait to come back here and start something special (with Daboll),” McGaughey said.
“When you get up every morning it’s not ‘I got to,’ it’s “I get to,'” added McGaughey, stressing that the Giants are a “charter” franchise that began in 1925.
McGaughey’s units have been some the best in the NFL over his career but what he wants to improve on this off season is the return game, especially the punt returns.
McGaughey has to make do every week with whatever the other coordinators give him when it comes to personnel. From week to week he has to hustle up a lineup and make it work.
“You gotta make gumbo every week. Sometimes it’s chicken gumbo, sometimes it’s just soup,” McGaughey said.
Fortunately for the Giants, he’s one of the best chefs in the NFL when it comes to making “gumbo.”
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