QUESTIONS FOR GIANTS’ NEW GM:
Dave Gettleman has never hired a head coach, so I am here to help. I have covered nine Jets coaching hires and this is my seventh with the Giants. When I covered the Cowboys, there was the granddaddy of them all when Jerry Jones fired Tom Landry and hired Jimmy Johnson.
That was fun. It doesn’t get bigger than that.
By comparison, Gettleman has it easy, replacing Ben McAdoo and interim Steve Spagnuolo, who combined to guide the Giants to a 3-13 record, the most losses in franchise history.
Perhaps he can use some of my experience and guidance throughout the process.
Gettleman fulfilled a promise John Mara made to Spags when he accepted the interim tag by interviewing him Wednesday. He hit leadoff in the coaching search. It’s not likely he will get another turn at bat.
Gettleman will interview justfired Broncos running back coach Eric Studesville on Thursday — he was the Giants running backs coach under Jim Fassel from 2001-03 when Gettleman was the pro personnel director. Gettleman will then get in his car and head up to Foxborough near his Boston hometown to interview Patriots coordinators Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia on Friday.
Next stop over the weekend are Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur in Minneapolis and Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz in Philly, and then on Monday he will meet with Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks in Charlotte. The Panthers play in the late afternoon time slot Sunday, so Wilks is at a disadvantage preparing, but his edge is that he worked with Gettleman from 2013 until this past summer in Carolina.
To assist Gettleman, I’ve come up with 10 questions for him to ask the coaching candidates:
The peeing pooch act in Philadelphia humiliated the Giants. Gettleman, then the Panthers GM, was at MetLife Stadium on Dec. 20, 2015 when Beckham melted down against Carolina’s Josh Norman. He saw OBJ at his immature and destructive worst. Gettleman will want his coach to make tough decisions and not be afraid to discipline his best players. I’ve heard great things about Wilks as a leader, but he’s only been a coordinator for one season.
Mara wants him. Gettleman wants him. But you can’t blame a new coach if he prefers not to deal with the burden — and unavoidable backlash — when he has to bench Manning during the 2018 season. If he needs details, give McAdoo a call. Even so, if Manning buys into being Kurt Warner of 2004, it will help in the transition if the Giants, as expected, draft Sam Darnold or Josh Rosen.
McDaniels was only 32 years old when the Broncos hired him in 2009. They gave too much power to a young guy —holy crap, he drafted Tim Tebow in the first round — and he lasted less than two seasons. After a one-year stopover as Spags’ offensive coordinator in St. Louis, he went back to finishing school with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in New England. He has five Super Bowl rings, two as offensive coordinator.
The Giants offense hasn’t scored 30 points since the final game of the 2015 season. That’s 33 games, including the playoff loss in Green Bay. They need an offensive whiz. McDaniels is the best available offensive coach.
Your mentor Ernie Accorsi hired my mentor (the Hoodie) in Cleveland, and it’s not like anybody was comparing him to Vince Lombardi back then. Pete Carroll didn’t get things figured out in the NFL until after he was fired by the Jets and Patriots and won two national championships at USC. Mike Shanahan lasted 20 games with Al Davis in Oakland and won two Super Bowls with John Elway in Denver. I was just supporting my guy Brady. Yes, I have a few extras. Does