After letting Pat Shurmur go, the New York Giants next head coach needs to bring change and positive, exciting energy to the Big Apple.
The New York Giants ended their 2019 season with a sloppy loss against the Philadelphia Eagles. On Monday, they made the decision to fire head coach Pat Shurmur after two seasons. Shurmur was 9-23 during his tenure with the G-men and many felt that it was time for New York to move in a new direction.
A franchise that was once known for its stability at head coach is about to embark on its second head coaching search in three years.
The Giants need to make sure that their new head coach (whoever it may be) is someone who is exciting. They need to find a head coach who has an impressive résumé and has had experience leading a team, particularly a young team.
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New York has its cornerstone pieces in place on offense with Daniel Jones at quarterback, Saquon Barkley at running back and Evan Engram at tight end. The next head coach should understand that their development as players will be crucial to their success and should be excited to take on that challenge.
New York also needs someone to bring some kind of appeal — a coach who not only wants to change the number of wins the Giants get each year but also change the culture of the team and the franchise. The Giants for the past few seasons (and even in some years with Tom Coughlin) have been bad and boring.
There is a lack of excitement around the franchise and this next head coach needs to ignite some life into the team. The culture is also something that needs to change as the Giants seem to be stuck in the past when it comes to their organizational culture. It is fair to say that the Giants need someone who brings a sense of modernization to their franchise.
One of the potential candidates is current Baylor head coach Matt Rhule and his personality and energy is something the Giants need in their franchise. Rhule revived a Baylor football program that was marred with Title IX and sexual assault allegations. They were awful when he arrived and in three seasons he has turned them into a top 10 college football team in the country.
This shows his ability to work with young players and change the culture of a football program. That by itself should be appetizing to the Giants, as their culture is in desperate need of a change and rebranding. Rhule was also the offensive assistant coach for the Giants in 2012, so he has a relationship, even though it is small, with the franchise.
The Giants are also looking at the Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. Bieniemy has been the offensive coordinator since 2018 and is considered to be Andy Reid’s top assistant. His work with star quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City’s offense is what has him as a top candidate not only for the Giants but for multiple head coaching vacancies in the NFL.
New York’s offense was less than stellar in the 2019 season, so it is understandable that they are interested in Bieniemy. With the young weapons New York has on offense, Bieniemy could definitely have success with the G-Men. He is detail-oriented and that is something the Giants appreciated about Coughlin during his tenure.
Bieniemy will bring a touch of modern stylings and youth at only 49 years old. He has 10+ years of coaching experience in the NFL and in college and, even though experience isn’t a prerequisite, the man knows what he is doing. Bieniemy is going to be a name many teams will look into when looking for a head coach given his experience and the recent success he has had in Kansas City.
Some other names that have been mentioned as potential candidates for the Giants head coaching job are Jason Garrett and Josh McDaniels. Both have had experience as head coaches in the NFL but they don’t have the kind of splash appeal the Giants need in a head coach.
Garrett has been mediocre at best during his time with the Cowboys and McDaniels wasn’t too successful himself when he was the head man of the Denver Broncos. In fact, McDaniels bailed on the Indianapolis Colts two years ago after initially agreeing to become their next head coach.
The New York Giants need to hire a name that is fresh and exciting as their next head coach. The job is appealing enough with the potential on both sides of the ball and having the No. 4 pick in the 2020 draft.
What is more important is that the structure and culture of the Giants franchise need to change if they want their next head coach to have success. The G-Men have lacked excitement and pizzazz for a while and this next head coach needs to bring just that.
The Giants have been abysmal for the past couple of seasons and the fan base has suffered because of it. Now is the time to get the fans back on their side and get a coach that can spark a fire in the team, the front office, and the fans.
The Giants should be in no rush to find their guy whether it be Rhule, Bieniemy or anyone else. They just need their guy to be the right guy and be ready to change the culture, appeal and make the Giants an exciting football team again.