The hot list
The Giants are once again in need of a new head coach. There are plenty of viable options out there. Here is a list of possible candidates, in no particular order:
JOSH MCDANIELS, PATRIOTS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Is McDaniels waiting out Bill Belichick’s retirement in New England? He is going to be a head coach again somewhere, even after his failed first go-round in Denver. McDaniels has done great work with rookie QB Mac Jones; might he have the same effect on Daniel Jones?
BRIAN FLORES, FORMER DOLPHINS HEAD COACH
This firing earlier in the week was stunning, and the Dolphins might regret this for years to come. Word out of Miami is that Flores had trouble in the relationships part of the job. The way his team played on the field belied this, though. He went 19-14 the past two seasons. The Brooklyn native is a tough dude, but he is a branch off the Belichick tree and does that scare off the Giants after the Joe Judge experience?
BRIAN DABOLL, BILLS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Have you seen Josh Allen play for the Bills? Pretty good, right? Daboll is great working with quarterbacks and is a five-time Super Bowl champion as an assistant and offensive coordinator. He spent plenty of time with the Patriots — is that a positive or a negative with the Giants?
PATRICK GRAHAM, GIANTS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Wouldn’t this be something? The Giants love Graham and his players think he is a genius. The dynamics of replacing Judge, one of his best friends, could be awkward. Graham went to Yale and has a great mind for defense, but he is often selfeffacing and the Giants will have to determine if he is a front man for an organization.
BYRON LEFTWICH, BUCCANEERS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
The former Jaguars quarterback is incredibly popular with his players and has the endorsement of Tom Brady. The Giants need a creative mind on offense but do they want to go with another first-time head coach?
TODD BOWLES, BUCCANEERS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Does anyone in the NFL have a bad word to say about this guy? Bowles is a class act, but he was a failed head coach (24-40) with the Jets and his laid-back demeanor might not be the right fit. He is respected by all, though.
DOUG PEDERSON, FORMER EAGLES HEAD COACH
The guy won a Super Bowl with the Eagles and there is a statue of him outside Lincoln Financial Field. Enough said. Joe Judge ripped him at the end of last season for the way the Eagles tanked the last game, but Judge is no longer around. Pederson and his fertile offensive mind will get another shot somewhere.
KELLEN MOORE, COWBOYS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
This guy is a rising star in the NFL and would be a boon to Daniel Jones. Would the Giants raid one of their main rivals in the NFC East? And will his age (33) scare off the Giants?
JIM HARBAUGH, MICHIGAN HEAD COACH
Is this likely to happen? Of course not. But Harbaugh is a proven winner in the NFL — 44-19-1 and a Super Bowl appearance with the 49ers. It will be tough to get him out of Ann Arbor and his quirky style might not work in New York.
JIM CALDWELL, FORMER NFL HEAD COACH
After the Joe Judge failure, the Giants might want to go for experience, and Caldwell, 66, has plenty of it. He was a winning head coach with the Colts (26-22) and the Lions (36-28) and when is the last time anyone won anything in Detroit?