Bill Belichick is going back to school.
On Wednesday, the legendary 72-year-old coach accepted North Carolina’s head coaching opening, which could mark the end of his NFL coaching career after nearly 50 years.
While this hiring has massive implications on college football and the looming NFL coaching carousel, let’s focus on what it means for the Giants, who have been linked to Belichick for obvious reasons.
Belichick spent 11 years on the Giants coaching staff from 1979 to 1990 and won two Super Bowls as their defensive coordinator. The 2024 Giants are a laughingstock at 2-11 and might look to move on from Brian Daboll this offseason.
BUY GIANTS TICKETS:STUBHUB,VIVID SEATS,TICKETMASTER
Alas, Belichick is no longer a replacement option.
So if they do fire Daboll, who might co-owner John Mara look to replace him?
Remember: The Giants will almost certainly draft a quarterback next year, so if they hire a defensive-minded coach to replace Daboll, that coach would need to bring in a strong offensive coordinator to help mold the new quarterback.
These are the top offensive coordinators to watch for next year’s hiring cycle, with a nod to Sports Illustrated’s rundown of candidates: Joe Brady (Bills), Liam Coen (Buccaneers), Ben Johnson (Lions), Kliff Kingsbury (Commanders), Todd Monken (Ravens), Kellen Moore (Eagles), Matt Nagy (Chiefs), Drew Petzing (Cardinals), Dan Pitcher (Bengals), Zac Robinson (Falcons), Bobby Slowik (Texans), Arthur Smith (Steelers), Frank Smith (Dolphins), and Adam Stenavich (Packers).
Johnson figures to be the hottest candidate in that group, but he would be pricey (he was reportedly asking for $15 million per year last hiring cycle).
Kingsbury, Nagy, and Arthur Smith all have head coaching experience — albeit with mixed results.
Another offensive mind to throw in there: Former Super Bowl champion Jon Gruden, who hasn’t coached since he resigned from the Raiders in 2021 after The Wall Street Journal and New York Times detailed his use of homophobic, racist and misogynistic terms in emails reportedly dating back to 2010.
Gruden now works for Barstool, but he’s eyeing a return to the coaching ranks. In an interview with NJ Advance Media last month, Gruden’s brother, Jay, another former NFL head coach, said Jon would surely be interested in the Giants opening.
“I’m sure he probably would be,” Gruden told NJ Advance Media. “He would love to get back into it. He’s doing good at Barstool Sports now, little shows. But if it opened up and somebody offered him, I’m sure he’d go.”
Now for the other side of the ball. Perhaps the top defensive-minded candidate is former Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, who is spending this season as a consultant for the Browns.
Here are some other defensive coordinators to watch: Ejiro Evero (Panthers), Aaron Glenn (Lions), Jeff Hafley (Packers), Vance Joseph (Broncos), Jesse Minter (Chargers), Steve Spagnuolo (Chiefs), and Anthony Weaver (Dolphins).
And no, the Giants won’t be hiring Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who is suing them for racial discrimination. They interviewed him in 2022 before hiring Daboll.
In that defensive group, Joseph and Spagnuolo have been head coaches. Mara and Tisch named Spagnuolo interim head coach at the end of 2017, after firing Ben McAdoo. Spagnuolo went 1-3 in that role and then got passed over in favor of Pat Shurmur — a terrible hire.
Hafley is an interesting candidate. He’s a New Jersey guy — Pascack Hills High — who coached Boston College (Mara’s alma mater) from 2020-23 and then left for Green Bay.
The man who replaced Hafley at Boston College is a pretty intriguing candidate, too — Bill O’Brien, the former Texans head coach. But would Mara and Tisch want to hire yet another Belichick disciple, after striking out with Joe Judge and Daboll?
One thing we know for sure: It won’t be Belichick this time around. That is, of course, unless Mara decides to stick with Daboll for another season, it blows up in his face, and he poaches him from UNC. Don’t hold your breath for that option, though.
(NJ Advance Media’s Darryl Slater contributed to this report)
Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.
Ryan Novozinsky may be reached atrnovozinsky@njadvancemedia.com. You can follow him on X@ryannovo62.