Joe Schoen is leading the Giants’ search for their next head coach after Monday’s firing of Brian Daboll. Here are some candidates to watch as this once-proud organization seeks a return to respectability:
Lou Anarumo, defensive coordinator, Indianapolis Colts: Anarumo grew up in Staten Island as a Giants fan. He coached the Giants’ secondary under Pat Shurmur in 2018. He has a close relationship with Schoen after working together for five years (2012-16) with the Miami Dolphins. His son, Louis, is a pro scout on Schoen’s Giants staff. He coached a 2021 Cincinnati Bengals defense that beat Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs and reached the Super Bowl. The Giants interviewed him for their head coaching vacancy in 2022 before hiring Daboll. He was a finalist for the Arizona Cardinals 2023 vacancy that went to Jonathan Gannon. He would have been Schoen’s choice to replace Shane Bowen if the Giants had fired their current DC at the end of last season. And he is a key part of the Colts’ 8-2 surge to the top of the NFL standings.
Jon Gruden, former Super Bowl winning head coach, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Gruden has a proven track record as an advanced offensive mind with a passion for developing quarterbacks. He also has a strong affinity for Dart and demonstrated in a pre-draft meeting with Dart how he coaches young players hard to their own benefit. Gruden’s despicable emails while coaching the Raiders — and his ongoing litigation against the NFL — could make his candidacy a moot point or a less than desirable candidate to some in the Giants organization. But he’s an intriguing candidate if they’re willing to chat.
Kevin Stefanski, head coach, Cleveland Browns: If the two-time NFL Coach of the Year loses his job in Cleveland, Stefanski would warrant serious consideration. He also likes Dart. The Browns were one of the teams that the Giants were competing with when they traded up to pick Dart in the first round in April.
Wink Martindale, defensive coordinator, Michigan: The Giants knew they were losing a good coach when Martindale resigned, but they didn’t fully understand how much his loss would hurt. They do now. The team has only won five of its 27 games since Martindale left. The architect of recent top Baltimore Ravens defenses, who pieced together an unexpected playoff defense for the rebuilding Giants in 2022, still has ties to some of the current Giants personnel and would be the perfect person to unleash No. 3 overall pick Abdul Carter on the rest of the league.
Bill Belichick, six-time Super Bowl winner, head coach North Carolina: The Giants have chased so many Belichick disciples over the years but have never landed their former two-time Super Bowl defensive coordinator as their own head coach. Belichick is an unlikely fit because of how badly the Giants organization went back on its word to Joe Judge, his former Patriots coordinator that Belichick had recommended to the team. But it’s still worth a swing.
Mike Kafka, interim head coach, Giants: Kafka was an NFL quarterback himself and worked as Mahomes’ quarterbacks coach for Andy Reid in Kansas City before coming to the Giants in 2022. He has interviewed for eight NFL coaching vacancies and hasn’t been hired for any of them, including the Colts, Panthers, Texans, Cardinals, Seahawks, Titans, Saints and Bears. But if Dart gets healthy and finishes this season strong, keeping Kafka might help the franchise quarterback’s development because it brings consistency to his early career.
And that’s what this hiring is about: whatever is best for Dart.
Other candidates: Brian Flores, defensive coordinator, Minnesota Vikings; Mike McCarthy, former Super Bowl winning head coach, Green Bay Packers; Matt Nagy, offensive coordinator, Kansas City Chiefs; Joe Brady, offensive coordinator, Buffalo Bills; Adam Stenovich, offensive coordinator, Green Bay Packers; Klint Kubiak, offensive coordinator, Seattle Seahawks; Klayton Adams, offensive coordinator, Dallas Cowboys.
