New York Giants Next Head Coach: 10 Candidates To Replace Ben McAdoo

The New York Giants have decided not to wait until the end of the 2017 NFL season to fire head coach Ben McAdoo and general manager Jerry Reese Monday morning. The news comes less than 24 hours after the team lost to the Oakland Raiders to drop to 2-10 on the year.

There’s been speculation for weeks that McAdoo would not return in 2018, but the disastrous manner in which the head coach handled the benching of quarterback Eli Manning forced ownership to make a change before the end of Week 13. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo will be the interim head coach as New York begins the search for McAdoo’s replacement.

Who will be the Giants’ next head coach? New York won’t hire someone anytime soon, but they’ve got a long list of potential candidates to choose from.

Josh McDaniels, New England Patriots Offensive Coordinator

The Giants’ offense was one of the NFL’s worst under Ben McAdoo, so why not hire the coach of the best offense in football? McDaniels failed during his only head coaching stint with the Denver Broncos from 2009-2010, but the 41-year-old might be the most sought-after coach when the regular season ends.

Matt Patricia, New England Patriots Defensive Coordinator

New England's coordinators are always going to be under consideration for head coaching positions, and the midseason transformation of the Patriots’ defense could help Patricia land a gig this offseason. New England has allowed fewer points than anyone since Week 5.

Jim Bob Cooter, Detroit Lions Offensive Coordinator

If the Giants want to find the next Sean McVay, Cooter might be their guy. At just 33 years old, the offensive coordinator has helped Matthew Stafford perform like a borderline top-10 quarterback.

Teryl Austin, Detroit Lions Defensive Coordinator

Austin has gotten several head coaching interviews over the last few years, including one with the Giants in 2016 before the organization hired McAdoo. The 52-year-old has never been a head coach before.

Mike Vrabel, Houston Texans Defensive Coordinator

A decade after being named a first-team All-Pro linebacker, Vrabel is one of the league’s hottest young coaches. He coached Houston’s No.1 ranked defense last season and was considered for the Los Angeles Rams’ head coaching position.

Jim Schwartz, Philadelphia Eagles Defensive Coordinator

Schwartz had an unimpressive stint as Detroit’s head coach from 2009-2013 with four losing seasons and no playoff wins. He’s made himself a potential head coaching candidate, once again, by helping turn Philadelphia into a top Super Bowl contender.

Mike Smith, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Defensive Coordinator

Smith has one of the strongest head coaching resumes of any potential candidate. He led the Atlanta Falcons to five straight winning seasons from 2008-2012, and he was one win away from reaching the 2013 Super Bowl.

Steve Spagnuolo, New York Giants Defensive Coordinator

It’s hard to know what to make of Spagnuolo’s future with the team. The interim head coach led the No.2 scoring defense a year ago before the unit vastly underachieved this season. He could be a long-shot head coaching candidate or entering his final days with the organization.

Dave Toub, Kansas City Chiefs Special Teams Coach

Head coaching searches often don’t include a special teams coach, but Toub is one of the exceptions. He was interviewed for the Los Angeles Chargers’ vacancy last offseason.

David Shaw, Stanford Head Coach

Averaging more than 10 wins per season with Stanford, Shaw could probably be an NFL head coach if he wanted. He just has to decide to leave college football. Shaw’s been linked to several jobs, including the Giants in 2016.