Six years ago, the Giants found themselves in the exact same position they are in now. They had just fired Pat Shurmur and were looking for his replacement. They interviewed several candidates, including Mike McCarthy and Matt Rhule, but elected to go with Joe Judge.
We all know what happened, so there's no need rehashing it. Suffice to say that this time around, the Giants are hoping, praying, that they get the right man. Thankfully, there are three eminently qualified candidates available, along with a few potential dark horses.
Given the stakes, I doubt that Joe Schoen and John Mara will seriously consider any of the dark horses, but with this franchise, you never know. Remember, it was Mara who was absolutely smitten with Judge during his interview and couldn't wait to hire him.
For our purposes, I'll concentrate on the front runners. To be clear, any of these three men would make an excellent choice and be considerably better than either Brian Daboll or Mike Kafka. Having said that, though, I do have a pecking order. So without further ado,
John Harbaugh: Without question, the best coaching free agent to hit the open market since Andy Reid was fired by the Eagles, Harbaugh checks all the boxes and would instantly become the best head coach the Jints have had since Tom Coughlin. In 18 seasons with the Ravens, he was 193-124, including the playoffs. He won a Super Bowl in 2012 with Joe Flacco as his quarterback, but with Lamar Jackson, his teams have underachieved in the postseason.
Kevin Stefanski: In six seasons with the Browns, he made the playoffs twice, winning eleven regular-season games and coach of the year both times. That's quite an accomplishment for a franchise that since 1999 has had four winning seasons. Stefanski's claim to fame is working with quarterbacks, which will be crucial for the development of Jaxson Dart.
Mike McCarthy: In hindsight, Mara should've hired him back in 2020 instead of Judge. But that's water under the bridge. McCarthy is one of six head coaches in the history of the NFL to win twelve or more games with multiple franchises. He won a Super Bowl in 2010 with the Packers and had three consecutive 12-5 seasons with the Cowboys. But his lack of playoff success in Dallas led to a falling out with Jerry Jones.
Now for the sixty-four thousand dollar question. Who would I go with? Obviously, Harbaugh would be my first choice. But if it turns out that he wants too much control - i.e., Bill Belichick in New England - I could see the Giants pivoting to Stefanski. And to be honest, I wouldn't be disappointed, provided they hire the right assistants. Imagine a staff of Stefanski as head coach, Kliff Kingsbury as offensive coordinator, and Antonio Pierce as defensive coordinator. That would arguably be the best coaching staff the Giants have had since their last Super Bowl team. As for McCarthy, he would be the safe pick. I don't love him, but I don't hate him either. Like I said, all three would be improvements over Daboll and Kafka.
One thing to keep in mind: the Giants aren't the only team looking to fill a coaching vacancy. Aside from Baltimore and Cleveland, the Atlanta Falcons, Las Vegas Raiders and Tennessee Titans also have their lines in the water. And the Falcons are especially intriguing because, unlike the other teams, they fired their coach and GM. That means they're in position to give whoever they hire total control over football operations. While's there's no indication that Harbaugh is looking for that much power, it's hard to imagine him turning down such an offer if it came his way.
We know that the Giants have already met with Stefanski and McCarthy; they've also met with Raheem Morris - the former Flacons head coach - and have a meeting scheduled with Pierce later this week, so they're in full compliance with the Rooney Rule. If Mara and Schoen like what they see when they sit down with Harbaugh next week, it would behoove them to make him an offer right there on the spot. Under no circumstances should they allow him to leave the building. On the other hand, if they're not enamored of Harbaugh, their very next call has to be to Stefanski. Get him in as soon as possible before another team snatches him up.
Six years ago, the Giants let two very qualified coaches slip through their fingers. They cannot afford to make that same mistake again. Time waits for no man, or organization. If Mara screws this up, he'll have no one but himself to blame.
The problem with casting a wide net is that sometimes the big fish gets away.
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