Kevin Gilbride once coached at the highest level of professional football when he won two Super Bowls as the New York Giants’ offensive coordinator under head coach Tom Coughlin.
That job ended in 2013 and the 68-year-old Gilbride has been enjoying his retirement ever since. But when the XFL’s New York Guardians were looking for a head coach, Gilbride jumped at the opportunity.
When Giant fans hear his name, there’s always a mixed reaction. Some thought he was too conservative at times and others questioned his play calling almost weekly. But, the Giants had a ton of success under his stewardship so his record speaks for itself.
There’s an obvious irony in the fact Gilbride will be resuming his coaching career at MetLife, the site of some of his greatest coaching achievements, but also his unceremonious exit from the NFL.
With time, the fans who used to call him “Kevin Killdrive” may have grown to appreciate his contributions. He even says he’ll get calls now from people telling him of rekindled praise in the area.
“People all the time had these nicknames for him,” former Giants running back Brandon Jacobs told The Post. “They was outside the building. They was outside of the walls.”
Such is the dichotomy that surrounded Gilbride throughout much of his Giants stint: admired by many of the game’s important figures and reviled by many of the home fans.
Jacobs believes being spurned in New York will only serve to motivate Gilbride.
“He’s gonna remember [his exit from New York],” Jacobs said. “He was told he couldn’t do something.”
The XFL begins play this weekend with the Guardians hosting the Tampa Bay Vipers on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. It is launching as an 8-team league with the other franchises in Dallas, St. Louis, Los Angeles, Houston, Seattle and Washington D.C.
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