Will Giants’ coach Brian Daboll part ways with all 3 of his coordinators? Mailbag, Part 1

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The Giants mailbag is overflowing, as usual. So I’m going to separate the hundreds (seriously!) of responses into two mailbags — this one and another to run later this week.

Today’s installment will cover the big-picture questions surrounding the coaching staff, front office and ownership. Questions about individual players and on-field topics will come later. And to those who sent questions about the draft and free agency, there will be plenty of time to discuss those topics down the road. There’s more than enough to tackle with the current team/season, so let’s get to it:

(Editor’s note: Questions have been edited for clarity.)

Will any (or all) of the three coordinators be gone after the season? — Rob L.

Let’s set the over/under at 2.5 new coordinators for next season, and “gone” is the right word, because there could be some “mutual partings.”

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Special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey’s days are numbered. He has spent 10 years with the Giants over two stints, with his current run beginning in 2018. Surviving two coaching changes is an impressive feat, and it speaks to the regard top brass has for him.

But the writing has been on the wall for McGaughey, as his units have been involved in too many disastrous plays this season. McGaughey has drawn interest around the league whenever there’s been coaching turnover with the Giants, but he has preferred to stay in New York. He should land on his feet with another coordinator job elsewhere.

It would be scapegoating offensive coordinator Mike Kafka to fire him since head coach Brian Daboll is so heavily involved in the offense. But it wasn’t a good sign for Kafka that Daboll took a more hands-on role with the offense midway through the season, which came after speculation about the head coach taking over play-calling in the second half of the Week 2 comeback win over the Cardinals. It’s not hard to imagine Daboll taking the reins of the offense as he enters a pivotal third season.

Kafka reportedly turned down the head-coaching job at his alma mater, Northwestern, which always seemed like an option if he was desperate to become a head coach. He’s young enough (36) that he can wait for a better opportunity, although NFL interest figures to be much quieter after he landed head-coaching interviews last offseason.

There’s no obvious lateral move for Kafka since his coaching experience was exclusively under Chiefs coach Andy Reid before coming to New York. However, the exposure on the head-coaching circuit boosted Kafka’s profile. The Panthers and Raiders are already in the market for new head coaches, and there could easily be an additional handful of firings. That would put plenty of new head coaches in the market for an offensive coordinator, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if Kafka departs for another OC job via “mutual parting.”

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The greatest intrigue revolves around defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, so let’s give him his own question.

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If Daboll chooses to move on from Wink at the end of the year, with how outspoken the defense has been in support of Wink, would Daboll begin to lose the locker room before the season even starts next year? — Albion N.

For whatever acrimony exists among the coaches, all appearances are that Daboll has done a good job maintaining a strong relationship with his players. It’s not hard to understand why, as he treats them well, with a full-week break for the bye the latest example of his player-friendly approach.

But Martindale is equally popular with players for his refreshingly candid approach in the meeting room and his swagger as an aggressive play caller. It would certainly be easier for players to question Daboll if he moves on from Martindale and things don’t go well with a replacement.

Daboll would definitely chip away at his public support if he cut ties with the popular Martindale. And it would be a tough look for Daboll’s leadership ability if he has to replace all three coordinators, especially if the departures of Martindale (and others) are personality-related. That’s why I think ownership will try to mediate the relationship with Martindale, unless it’s past the point of no return, which is what Jay Glazer’s report indicated.

As for Glazer’s report, I had reported on the friction between Daboll and Martindale after the Week 10 loss to Dallas. I had heard rumblings about the relationship as early as training camp last year (check out point No. 3 here), but it’s common for coaches to coexist despite personality differences, so it wasn’t a big deal, especially as the team won.

I didn’t realize things had escalated to the point Glazer reported — that he doesn’t think the relationship will continue after the season. Glazer doesn’t miss, and I haven’t heard anything to make me doubt the veracity of his report.

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I saw a story that has a “football insider” saying that Daboll is a screamer behind the scenes and that his assistant coaches, especially on the defensive side, would flee if given the chance. Can you shed some light on the situation — is there any truth to what this “insider” is saying? — Ridge K.

You’re likely referring to John Middlekauff saying on his podcast that a source told him, “The defensive coaching staff despises Brian Daboll. They think he’s a clown.” I don’t know Middlekauf, but he was an Eagles scout from 2010-13, so he surely has relationships in the league.

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I can’t confirm that the coaching staff “despises” Daboll, but I have heard he’s a screamer behind the scenes. That can’t be a surprise to anyone who has witnessed Daboll’s frequent meltdowns on the sideline.

An understandable reaction from fans in the wake of Glazer’s report has been asking why none of this was reported previously. To me, it’s not a story that an NFL head coach is demanding. It becomes a story if it escalates to the point that assistants want to leave because they’re so miserable. That’s what others have reported. I can’t confirm or deny that at this point, but it’s going to be the biggest storyline to track in the days and weeks after the season ends.

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If Wink and Kafka are on the outs, who do you believe are possible replacements? — Anonymous U.

I’ll offer a few obvious candidates, but it’s premature to dig too deeply into this hypothetical. Quarterbacks coach Shea Tierney has worked under Daboll for the past seven years, so he’s the clear in-house option at OC. Another obvious candidate would be Ken Dorsey, who was the quarterbacks coach under Daboll in Buffalo and is available after he was fired as the Bills’ OC three weeks ago. Browns wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator Chad O’Shea and former Texans offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton were finalists for the Giants’ OC job last offseason, so they could draw interest again.

Defensive line coach Andre Patterson, who was the Vikings’ co-DC for two years before coming to New York, and defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson are possible in-house defensive coordinator candidates. Leslie Frazier, who was Daboll’s counterpart as Bills defensive coordinator, would likely be at the top of the list. Patrick Graham was Daboll’s first choice as DC last offseason, but Graham elected to leave for Las Vegas. Graham will be available after the Vegas coaching turnover, although it’s not clear if any bridges were burned when he left.

With the offensive line continuing to struggle, will Daboll make a change at OL coach? — John B.

Offensive line coach Bobby Johnson has understandably been in the crosshairs with fans. It will be fascinating to learn his fate. Objectively, the offensive line performance has been poor during Johnson’s two seasons, and there has been no discernible development of any of the four linemen drafted since he took over.

Johnson’s track record was underwhelming when he got hired, but there was one factor in his favor: He spent three years as the Bills’ O-line coach while Daboll was Buffalo’s OC. Daboll understood how crucial the O-line coach would be, and he hand-picked Johnson after working closely with him for three years.

Will Johnson’s standing as one of Daboll’s “guys” make him safe? Could Daboll use the excessive offensive line injuries as an excuse to grant Johnson a reprieve? Could Johnson be spared due to the rest of the potential staff turnover if Daboll wants to avoid having another hole to fill? Those questions could lead to Johnson getting spared.

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 Do you anticipate any position coaching changes? — Jay B.

It’s important to note that my understanding is that all of the assistants are under contract through 2024 (at least). So none of the position coaches can leave unless it’s for a promotion to a coordinator job. Of course, Daboll could fire any assistant and the possibility of “mutual partings” exists if relationships are frayed.

If the coordinators are replaced, that would add a great deal of instability with the position coaches. Outside linebackers coach Drew Wilkins surely would want to follow Martindale if his mentor departs. It’s hard to imagine the Giants letting Patterson or Henderson leave since they’re among the best in the business at their positions. Inside linebackers coach John Egorugwu has a past with Daboll, and his position group has thrived, so it would be a surprise if he’s not back.

On offense, Tierney is Daboll’s righthand man, so, if anything, his stock will only be enhanced if there’s turnover. Johnson’s intriguing fate was covered above. Running backs coach Jeff Nixon is reportedly being targeted as Syracuse’s offensive coordinator, so he’ll likely be one-and-done with the Giants. Wide receivers coach Mike Groh and tight ends coach Andy Bischoff are well-traveled assistants with no previous ties to Daboll, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if they look around for a possible change of scenery if things are as bad as has been portrayed.

It appears the dirty little secret in the NFL is how much fans believe GMs are left to their own devices, when in reality owners appear to be VERY hands-on in decisions, but insist their involvement be kept in-house.

1.) Is my assumption true?
2.) Why doesn’t the media report on their involvement?
3.) To what degree is (John) Mara “suggesting” to rookie GM (Joe) Schoen what to do?
4.) Are we saddled with (QB Daniel) Jones’s $47M cap hit in 2024 because Mara wanted both (Saquon) Barkley and Jones back, so he “suggested” a multi-year deal for Jones and franchise-(tagging) Barkley rather than vice-versa? — Thomas R.

These are good questions, and I’ll do my best to answer them. To your first question, that varies from team to team. For instance, it’s no secret that Cowboys ownership is heavily involved in personnel decisions. But there are other teams where ownership is completely hands-off. The Giants fall somewhere between those extremes.

Where exactly they fall ties into your other questions. As for the lack of reporting on their involvement, I’d argue that it’s been covered more here than anywhere. In the reporting of my story on Giants’ ownership last year, there was no “smoking gun” about any single decision being mandated by John Mara, Steve Tisch, et al.

But ownership is certainly involved. John Mara is in the facility every day, and he lives and breathes the team. Chris Mara’s title is senior player personnel executive, although sources have said he’s become less involved in personnel decisions in recent years. Tim McDonnell, who is from the next generation of the Mara family, has a prominent role as the director of player personnel.

To your third question, I don’t believe John Mara is dictating personnel decisions to Schoen. But it’s impossible to quantify the implicit influence of ownership. That was a topic that was raised by former front office employees in my deep dive into the organization last year.

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I believe Schoen made the final decision on the fates of Jones and Barkley in the offseason. Remember that Schoen didn’t exercise Jones’ fifth-year option during the 2022 offseason. Now, did it “help” Schoen make the commitment to Jones knowing that his boss gushed about the quarterback at every opportunity? Again, that’s impossible to know, but it’s conceivable that it helped tip the scale.

Ownership is heavily involved on the highest-level decisions, such as coaching hires. And, as mentioned above, I can envision Mara interceding in the Daboll-Martindale relationship. Ownership signs off on major personnel decisions and definitely has input in the process, but I don’t believe Mara mandates individual moves.

(Photo: Timothy T Ludwig / Getty Images)

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