Brian Daboll fired in New York: Who could be the Giants’ next head coach?
New York parts ways with head coach Daboll after a 2-8 start, sparking speculation over college and NFL candidates to take over.
Brian Daboll has paid the price for the Giants’ disastrous start to the 2025 NFL season, with multiple reports starting New York have opted to fire their head coach after a fourth successive defeat against the Chicago Bears in Week 10.
The Giants are 2-8 after 10 games for the third straight season under Daboll, whose overall record with the franchise made for grim reading. Hired in January 2022, the 50-year-old finished with a 20-40-1 record, which got progressively worse: 11-33 since the start of 2023 and 5-22 since the beginning of 2024.
Mike Kafka takes over as interim coach
Daboll’s immediate replacement will be Mike Kafka, who has been serving as the Giants’ assistant head coach and offensive coordinator. Kafka will now become interim head coach. Multiple reports suggest he will fill that role for the final seven games of the regular season, with no permanent appointment currently planned.
Potential replacements already being discussed
Given Daboll’s poor record, his departure had been anticipated, and a number of potential replacements have been mentioned.
Among the NCAA names linked with the Giants are current Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin, who coached superstar-in-the-making quarterback Jaxson Dart during his college years, and Matt Campbell of Iowa State.
Dart’s strong start to his rookie year makes Kiffin an attractive option to many Giants fans. However, Brannon Dart, Jaxson’s father, revealed Kiffin joked that New York was “too cold,” which may or may not be a genuine obstacle.
NFL candidates, including Super Bowl legend, also in the mix
The Giants have also been linked with several NFL figures who are not currently head coaches, including Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, and Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.
Veteran NFL insider Gary Myers has even suggested that legendary coach Bill Belichick, who has won a record six Super Bowls with the Patriots, would take the Giants job “in a second.”
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