Who Will Be the Next Head Coach of the New York Giants?

The New York Giants finally pulled the trigger and canned Brian Daboll on Monday afternoon. Daboll was named NFL Coach of the Year in his first campaign with the Giants back in 2022, but he has not had nearly as much success over the last 2.5 seasons. The Giants have been a dismal 11-33 over this stretch, necessitating a change at the top.

Daboll was the second NFL head coach fired so far this season, but the New York Giants have a much more appealing position available than the Tennessee Titans. Jaxson Dart is one of the favorites to be named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year per the current player futures odds, and Dart has a real weapon on the perimeter in the currently injured Malik Nabors. That has led to several high profile names being mentioned in relation to this opening.

The Interim – Mike Kafka

Former Northwestern University and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Mike Kafka has been named the interim head coach for the New York Giants. The 38-year-old has been the subject of a lot of speculation over the last decade, as he was seen as a quarterback whisperer when he was with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs from 2017 to 2021. Kafka was named the Giants’ offensive coordinator in 2022, and he was rumored to be on the short list for a few head coaching gigs that offseason. However, his options have declined as the Giants’ offense has stagnated.

Unlike many coaches with the interim tag, Kafka has a real chance of being named the permanent head coach at the end of the season. That’s why he is currently one of six candidates with NFL futures odds of 10-1 or less to be the next New York Giants’ head coach. Kafka has been interviewed by eight teams over the last three years, but this is his best shot yet.

If Jaxson Dart has a strong finish to his rookie campaign, Kafka stands a very good chance of becoming Daboll’s full-time successor. The bad news is that Dart is likely to miss at least a week after suffering a concussion in the Giants’ loss to the Chicago Bears. However, there’s no doubt that Dart has been the best performing rookie quarterback to this point, and he continues to develop without a strong receiving corps.

The Favorite – Lane Kiffin

Currently, Lane Kiffin is listed as the betting favorite to be the next head coach of the New York Giants. Kiffin is also the favorite to be named the next head coach of the Florida Gators too, as he has no shortage of suitors at the moment. He flamed out with the Oakland Raiders over the course of two seasons and was infamously fired on the tarmac during his time at USC, but he has rebuilt his image during his time at Ole Miss.

Kiffin has the Rebels poised to make the College Football Playoff, and they are 48-14 over the last five seasons despite playing in the SEC. He has subsequently received raises making him one of the highest-paid coaches in college football, yet he knows he is the belle of the ball and is listening to offers.

It’s rare for college coaches to work out at the NFL level, but Kiffin was previously an NFL head coach and has a relationship with Dart too. After a subpar freshman season at USC, Dart thrived in his three seasons at Ole Miss and became a first-round draft pick under Kiffin’s tutelage.

The GOAT – Bill Belichick

It’s no secret that Bill Belichick wants to coach in the NFL again. Despite winning six Super Bowls in a quarter-century with the New England Patriots, Belichick had a very acrimonious fallout with the ownership group. That led to Belichick taking a year off before joining the North Carolina Tar Heels in December 2024. He got off to a rocky start at the collegiate level, but North Carolina has shown improvement over the last month.

Belichick currently has 302 regular season NFL wins. That puts him 26 victories behind Don Shula, and many speculate that Belichick wants to break this record before riding off into the sunset. The New York Giants’ job could be just the right gig, and Belichick has plenty of history with the franchise. Mentor Bill Parcells had his greatest success with Big Blue, while Belichick was alongside Parcells for almost the entire ride. Belichick worked his way up from position coach to defensive coordinator over 12 seasons before taking over the Cleveland Browns.

There is certain to be some interest from Belichick, but would the Giants be willing to hire a coach who will turn 74 in April? That’s pretty doubtful.

The Longshot – Steve Spagnuolo

One of the biggest reasons behind the sustained success of the Kansas City Chiefs has been defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. He is widely considered one of the top defensive minds in the game, and he has won three Super Bowl titles as the defensive coordinator of the Chiefs. His first Super Bowl ring came back in 2008 though. That’s when Spagnuolo was DC for the New York Giants when they upset the unbeaten New England Patriots 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII. New England finished with a scant 274 total yards of offense, allowing David Tyree to etch his name into history with the Helmet Catch.

Many media members believe Spagnuolo only wants to be a defensive coordinator going forward. Spagnuolo had a disastrous three seasons leading the St. Louis Rams after his two years as defensive coordinator of the New York Giants, leading to Spags eventually returning to be the defensive coordinator for the Giants from 2017 to 2019.

However, Spagnuolo might find the allure of being the head coach of a talented young quarterback too strong to pass up. He has already had two successful stints with the Giants, and he was previously named interim head coach, so this might be the one head coaching job he would take if offered.