Once upon a time, the New York Giants were viewed as the class of the NFL and attracting potential executives, coaches and players was as easy as pie. However, things have changed a bit in recent years and it’s become increasingly difficult for the Giants to sell their culture amidst constant losing, turmoil and instability.
Still, of the five current openings (if you include the Dallas Cowboys), a panel of executives and coaches ranked the Giants as the No. 1 potential destination for an incoming head coach, according to The Athletic.
| Team | Exec #1 | Exec #2 | Exec #3 | Coach #1 | Coach #2 | Avg. Rank |
| NYG | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1.8 |
| CAR | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 2.2 |
| DAL | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2.2 |
| CLE | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 4.2 |
| WAS | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4.6 |
Unsurprisingly, the presence and general manager Dave Gettleman and rookie quarterback Daniel Jones played heavily into the rankings and the perception of the team. Some of it good, some of it bad.
The Giants’ reputation as a stable organization with sterling ownership has taken a hit in recent years as the team has shuffled through head coaches, but they were still seen by some as the organization on this list with the fewest fatal flaws. There wasn’t enough information on Carolina’s ownership for some to assume their situation was better.
“Organizations win,” one coach said. “The quarterback (Daniel Jones), maybe he is good, maybe he is not good, but you go in there knowing it could be run right. Dallas will be up and down and underachieving because the head coach is not going to be allowed to be strong enough.”
Dave Gettleman’s continued presence as the Giants’ general manager could be another concern for an incoming head coach.
“The comments he makes are so ‘I do not give a [expletive]’ about anybody’s opinion and he does it on purpose like he’s offended somebody would even ask the question,” one of the coaches said. “What would that be like on a daily basis in the office?”
The exec who listed the Giants first among these five teams said the new coach might try to “bypass” the GM, possibly trying to bring in personnel help. That might not be realistic, however. “It depends what the interview process is like,” this exec said. “You may get there and realize you are reporting to Gettleman and you are worried. None of these teams are perfect. New York has the tested ownership, which is No. 1. They are usually classy, out of the way and it’s freed up, depending on the Gettleman situation.” Are the Giants really being “run right” as the coach suggested?
“Are the Giants too high?” the exec who ranked them third asked. “They scare me because their last two coaches have gone two years and two years.”
The Giants went 9-23 with Pat Shurmur over the past two seasons. They were 13-15 under predecessor Ben McAdoo, with interim head coach Steve Spagnuolo going 1-3 in between.
“Who would say Dallas has patience and the Giants do not?” a coach asked. “As we turn the decade, that is where we are at.”
The coach who listed the Giants first on his ballot thought the coaching instability reflected on the coaches themselves, not just on the organization. He thought the team needed to make sure its next head coach was better at relating to players. He thought the Giants needed to get back to hiring coaches who were not necessarily “hot” at the moment but possessed traits that were more likely to endure over time.
It’s an interesting mixed bag for the Giants, but even with the dark cloud that is Gettleman, executives and coaches alike view their current opening as potentially the most stable and desirable.
Let’s see if the available coaches see things the same way.
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