As the New York Giants try to get back on the winning track, new head coach Ben McAdoo has combined the best of the old ways with some new ideas to build a strong foundation.
New York Giants head coach Ben McAdoo smiled when the question about being the new kid on the head coaching block came for what seemed like the umpteenth time since he was hired to succeed Tom Coughlin on January 15, 2016.
“I’ve been doing this my whole life,” he said, looking directly at the reporter who asked about his comfort level after the team finished its first OTA practice. “This is an opportunity that I dreamed of and I’m just out here attacking the job.”
So far, so good for the 38-year-old rookie head coach.
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Since being elevated to the top spot following two successful seasons as the Giants offensive coordinator, McAdoo has created a blend as far as keeping with some old traditions and mixing them in with some new ones.
For instance, he has kept “Coughlin Time” (setting the clocks in the facility five minutes ahead). He has also introduced some new twists, such as allowing his players to go through the majority of practice while a more diverse blend of music fills the air.
McAdoo, who famously made headlines at his introductory press conference for wearing an over-sized suit, is most at home in team-issued sweats that typically include sleeves, regardless of the thermometer’s reading.
And while some new head coaches like to come in with a gigantic broom in order to thoroughly clear out any traces of the previous regime, McAdoo, who left the Green Bay Packers to join the Giants in 2014 to be their offensive coordinator, has taken a much different approach.
He put away the sledgehammer, fixing only what, after close study, he determined to be “broken.”
For instance, he has modified the Giants in-season weekly practice schedule, flipping the players’ day off from Tuesday to Monday so the players can optimize their postgame rest period, particularly after a road game.
He also took a somewhat different approach in building his coaching staff. McAdoo rehired defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and special teams coordinator Tom Quinn, as well as four other Coughlin assistants.
He added some new faces, including new strength and conditioning coach Aaron Wellman, and created a new assistant coaching position, assistant defensive line (filled by former NFL defensive tackle and former Houston Texans assistant coach Jeff Zgonina).
McAdoo has also found a way to re-brand some of the traditions and practices of past coaching regimes.
His most notable approach that has grabbed the players’ attention was when he named some of the team’s fundamental drill periods after legendary Giants greats such as Wellington “The Duke” Mara (ball security), offensive lineman Chris Snee (blocking), and linebacker Lawrence Taylor (tackling).
“In those three areas,” McAdoo explained, “this organization has a lot of rich tradition. Putting names to the periods, putting a face with the period and with ball security and with tackling and with blocking, I think it hits home with players.”
Perhaps the biggest reason why McAdoo is set up to succeed in his new role is his approach to building a roster.
With a relatively new team representing an unmolded lump of clay, McAdoo and his assistant coaches have been approaching the shaping of that clay gradually.
For example, he has refrained from offering any insight into how the summer training camp depth chart might look like.
Instead, he reminds reporters that it’s still too early to tell just what it is they have because the players are running around in shorts and T-shirts.
“He’s a no-nonsense coach which is great,” linebacker Jasper Brinkley said on the Big Blue Chat podcast last month. “He’s going to demand a lot out of the leaders of the team.
“He definitely wants to get us heading in the right direction, so he’s going to hold us accountable. When the coach holds the players accountable, then there’s no room for error.”
Another philosophy difference McAdoo brings to the table—and one that is sure to resonate with fans—is that if a decision comes down to playing a rookie or a veteran, McAdoo isn’t going to go with the proven commodity.
“When the coach holds the players accountable, then there’s no room for error.” –Giants Linebacker Jasper Brinkley
“The offseason got a lot shorter and I think you need to be aggressive with young players and put them out there and see what they can do and see how they handle being in a pressure situation and see if they’ll respond,” he said.
“I think you may have to push some guys into some situations that are uncomfortable and find out who’s comfortable being uncomfortable.”
So far, it’s been hard to find a player who hasn’t bought into what McAdoo has brought to the table as the caretaker of the team.
“There’s a lot of energy it the building right now,” Brinkley said. “I can honestly say that waking up in the morning, I’m very excited to walk into the facility. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I’m excited.”
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The reason for the excitement is the atmosphere that McAdoo has created, an atmosphere that’s all about accountability and where a quick distinction will be made between those who want to drive the bus and those who are content with just having a seat.
“The level of competition is at an all-time high,” Brinkley said. “We compete at everything—who’s getting to the next drill first? Who’s lifting more weights? Who’s doing the technique the best?
“The energy in there is crazy right now and I’m excited to see how that transitions to the football field.”