Giants coaching candidates: Ranking 10 options to replace fired Brian Daboll, including Bill Belichick

The New York Giants are in the market for a coach. On Monday, the club fired Brian Daboll after four seasons on the job, and in the wake of the team dropping to 2-8 with yet another blown fourth-quarter lead in Week 10 vs. Chicago. Daboll departs with a 20-40-1 record in the regular season, and now one of the most coveted positions in the entire league is up for grabs. 

Not only is the head coach position for the New York Giants attractive because it's a storied franchise in a major market, but the club has plenty of budding stars throughout the roster. Most notably, this job comes with a ready-made quarterback in Jaxson Dart, who has flashed his potential as a franchise cornerstone throughout the first-rounder's rookie season. On top of Dart, the defense has stellar figures up front in pass rushers Brian Burns, Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux, along with defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. While they may not be healthy at the moment, wide receiver Malik Nabers and running back Cam Skattebo are two other building blocks on offense. 

With all that in mind, there's plenty to like about this newest opening in the NFL. But what are the Giants looking for? What sort of candidate are they hoping to fetch as they start to think about the post-Daboll era? Who will GM Joe Schoen pursue? There will certainly be no shortage of candidates, so we cast a wide net, collected up 10 notable names who could be in the running, and rank them based on who New York should prioritize. 

Note: For the sake of discussing external options, we'll put interim head coach Mike Kafka off to the side. 

10. Bill Belichick

Current role: Head coach, University of North Carolina.

Belichick's name will come up quite a bit throughout this search. The legendary head coach has close ties to the Mara family, and his link to the organization is well-documented. Belichick was on the Giants coaching staff beginning in 1979 and through the 1990 season, by that time elevating to defensive coordinator. Belichick was a key figure for two Super Bowl championships with New York. Currently, he's been trying his hand at coaching at the collegiate level at UNC, and it has been a turbulent tenure despite back-to-back wins. He has just a $1 million buyout, so an avenue back into the NFL is realistic from that standpoint, and it'd be hard to imagine that he wouldn't have interest in the job. That said, is New York looking for someone like Belichick at this stage of his career? He'll be 74 years old in April, so this wouldn't be looked at as a long-term fix.  

9. Steve Spagnuolo

Current role: Defensive coordinator, Kansas City Chiefs

Another familiar face for New York is Spagnuolo. Already, he has two stints with the Giants under his belt, including back in 2017 when he served as the interim head coach. Since leaving New York, Spagnuolo has been working under Andy Reid as the defensive coordinator for the Chiefs, helping that organization to three Super Bowl titles. In that time, he's been lauded as one of, if not the best defensive coordinators in the league. The prospect of him coaching up the likes of Burns and Carter does have the upside of being one of the more fearsome front sevens in the NFL. 

8. Jeff Hafley

Current role: Defensive coordinator, Green Bay Packers

Hafley has spent the last two seasons as the defensive coordinator with the Packers under Matt LaFleur. While he doesn't have prior NFL head coaching experience, the Montvale native was the head coach at Boston College from 2020 through the 2023 season. With that in mind, he wouldn't be coming into this role entirely green. The 46-year-old had Green Bay as a top five defense in fewest yards in 2024, and sixth in the league in points allowed. Entering Week 10, the Packers defense is once again top 10 in the league in both categories. 

7. Joe Brady

Current role: Offensive coordinator, Buffalo Bills

Brady has been a hot head coaching candidate for the last couple of years. While he comes from the offensive side, which could be attractive for a team with a young quarterback, it might be a hard pill to swallow for the Giants, particularly after just firing Daboll. Are they really going to hire another former offensive coordinator from the Buffalo Bills? It shouldn't matter, and the 36-year-old could be a youthful injection that the organization needs, but it may not be realistic, despite helping coach up Josh Allen to an MVP level in 2024. 

6. Lincoln Riley

Current role: Head coach, University of Southern California

This one is a bit of a wild card, but why not get a little crazy? This is the type of job that coaches from all across the nation are going to be paying attention to, and may be willing to push their chips into the middle for. Riley hasn't been shy of making big career moves in the past, leaving Oklahoma after the 2021 season for USC. He currently has the Trojans in the mix for a spot in the College Football Playoff, which has only grown his stock, but Riley has recently stated he's "where I need to be." Still, if New York shows interest, it'd be silly for Riley not to hear them out. 

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5. Robert Saleh

Current role: Defensive coordinator, San Francisco 49ers

Saleh is known to Giants fans for his lackluster tenure with the Jets, but the current Niners DC will likely be a hot candidate once again. His biggest demise in New York was the Jets' failure to land a quarterback, which wouldn't be a problem here with Dart. Speaking of Dart, Saleh recently just gushed over the Giants rookie leading up to their Week 9 matchup, calling him "uber-talented." As ESPN's Jordan Raanan noted, Saleh also met up with Dart after the game, so there is clearly some interest on the part of Saleh. He may also be the type of head coach who is better the second time around, especially if he can attach himself with a capable offensive coordinator. Maybe former Niners coordinator and current Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, if he is let go by Miami? Would be an interesting combo. 

4. Jesse Minter

Current role: Defensive coordinator, Los Angeles Chargers

Minter may not be a household name, but he's going to be one of the more sought-after candidates over the next few hiring cycles. Minter comes from the Jim Harbaugh coaching tree, working under him at the University of Michigan as his defensive coordinator before following him to the NFL and serving in the same role with the Chargers. The 42-year-old has coached up top 10 defenses throughout his first two years in the NFL. Last season, L.A. was No. 1 in the NFL in points allowed. Through Week 10 this season, the club is No. 7 in points allowed and No. 4 in total yards allowed. He'd do wonders with Burns, Carter, and Lawrence, thus making life much easier for Dart and the offense. 

3. Kliff Kingsbury

Current role: Offensive coordinator, Washington Commanders

The Giants have seen firsthand what Kingsbury can do with a mobile quarterback, helping Jayden Daniels burst onto the scene as a rookie and catapult Washington to the NFC Championship last season. The 2025 campaign has been more trying for the Commanders, largely due to Daniels and Terry McLaurin both dealing with injuries. That said, Kingsbury is an intriguing fit and has prior head coaching experience, which includes an 11-6 season in 2021 on his résumé with the Arizona Cardinals. Given that his expertise comes from the offensive side of the ball, that could be attractive for New York, who'd likely want a consistent voice in Dart's ear throughout his development, which they may not get with a defensive-minded coach who has to hire an OC. 

2. Klint Kubiak 

Current role: Offensive coordinator, Seattle Seahawks

Kubiak had the New Orleans Saints offense rolling for a minute in 2024, but the lack of talent ultimately slowed the unit down. However, talent isn't a problem in Seattle, where the offensive coordinator has been helping the Seahawks take the NFC by storm. They've powered to a 7-2 record with the No. 3-ranked scoring offense and are also No. 9 overall in total yards. Under Kubiak, Sam Darnold is averaging 9.9 yards per pass attempt while Jaxon Smith-Njigba is currently leading the NFL in receiving yards. It's scary to think what he'd be able to do with Dart and a healthy Nabers as a QB-WR combo. 

1. Lane Kiffin

Current role: Head coach, Ole Miss

It should be noted that this doesn't sound like it's a realistic option, as Kiffin told Dart's father, Brandon, as much. That said, you have to make the call if you're Joe Schoen. Kiffin coached Dart at Ole Miss and helped develop him into the quarterback that New York drafted No. 25 overall. The two reportedly have remained close, so it would seem like an ideal fit to pair your young quarterback with someone who not only has in-depth knowledge of the player but is a fantastic head coach to boot. Kiffin has Ole Miss in contention for the College Football Playoff, and could be targeted by other high-profile collegiate programs once the season is over. If Kiffin feels like a different challenge and wants to get back into the NFL (he was the head coach of the Raiders from 2007 to 2008), the Giants with Dart present quite an opportunity.