Let\u2019s ring in the new year by catching up on the latest news and rumors regarding who will be the new head coach of the 2026 New York Giants.<\/p>\n
Kevin Stefanski: \u201cIdeal fit\u201d<\/p>\n
The Cleveland Browns\u2019 head coach is not currently available. That could be about to change.<\/p>\n
NFL insider Jeremy Fowler said recently that the Browns have done \u201cpreliminary research\u201d about a potential Stefanski replacement<\/a>.<\/p>\n A two-time Coach of the Year, Stefanski is about to complete his sixth season as Browns head coach. There have been plenty of questions about his future<\/a>, and there is speculation that the Browns and Stefanski may mutually decide to part ways<\/a>.<\/p>\n Jared Mueller of SB Nation\u2019s Dawgs By Nature<\/a> told Big Blue View he thought the chances of Stefanski staying in Cleveland were \u201c50\/50.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think they decide on a mutual split,\u201d Mueller said.<\/p>\n The Browns have gone 7-26 over the past two seasons and are 44-56 (.440 winning percentage) with two playoff appearances during Stefanski\u2019s tenure.<\/p>\n I asked Mueller if Stefanski was a victim of circumstances in Cleveland, or if the 43-year-old coach was part of the problem.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a very good coach,\u201d Mueller said. \u201cA little risk adverse, but overall great.\u201d<\/p>\n Fowler wrote on ESPN that Stefanski \u201cmight be the strongest retread candidate<\/a>\u201d and that \u201cthe Giants would be an ideal fit.\u201d<\/p>\n For me, if Stefanski becomes available he jumps to the top of the list of candidates for the Giants\u2019 job.<\/p>\n He spent seven of his 14 years as an assistant with the Minnesota Vikings coaching quarterbacks, and one with Minnesota as offensive coordinator. That checks the vital \u201cwould he be able to develop Jaxson Dart?\u201d box.<\/p>\n He obviously checks the \u201chead-coaching experience\u201d box. His two Coach of the Year honors check the credibility box that might be critical for a team where culture and player accountability became a problem over the past couple of seasons. It might be considered miraculous that Stefanski won those two awards, considering the dysfunction of the Cleveland organization in recent years. If Stefanski can handle that, he can certainly handle the sometimes muddy lines of authority in the Giants\u2019 organization.<\/p>\n In an alternate universe, Stefanski might already be Giants\u2019 head coach. When the Giants hired Pat Shurmur in 2018, Shurmur wanted Stefanski to come along from Minnesota as offensive coordinator. The Vikings blocked that lateral move.<\/p>\n Mike McCarthy: \u201cStep backwards\u201d<\/p>\n The 62-year-old McCarthy has the best resume of any currently available coach. He is 174-112-2 (.608 winning percentage) with 12 playoff appearances and a Super Bowl title over 18 seasons with the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys. He has had 11 double-digit victory seasons.<\/p>\n McCarthy is offensive head coach and long-time play caller who would certainly seem to be a natural fit for Dart. Does that make him the best candidate? Dave Halprin of SB Nation\u2019s Blogging The Boys told Big Blue View he does not think so<\/a>:<\/p>\n \u201cMike McCarthy talked a good game about updating his offense and using analytics when he came to Dallas, but after a while it didn\u2019t really feel like he had. He also seemed to have a little more drama going on in the locker room than we knew when he was coaching,\u201d Halprin said. \u201cTo me it would feel like a step backwards for your organization. It is true he is pretty good with QBs so he might help Jaxson Dart grow, but everything else about his coaching, including some brutal in-game decisions around time management, would make me wary of hiring him.\u201d<\/p>\n Dan Graziano of ESPN said of McCarthy that \u201cI\u2019m not sure McCarthy gets another shot, but he could get some looks.\u201d<\/p>\n I don\u2019t know if McCarthy would be considered a serious candidate for the Giants\u2019 job. I would not be surprised, though, if he is one of the first potential candidates interviewed. He is available, meaning the Giants wouldn\u2019t have to wait until after the divisional round of the playoffs to conduct an in-person interview.<\/p>\n Jeff Hafley: \u201cSeems to have some traction\u201d<\/p>\n