The New York Giants made a tough decision to move on from head coach Brian Daboll after another disappointing loss in Week 10. Daboll has been on the hot seat since the beginning of the season, but there were some who felt that he could stick around due to his good relationship with rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart.
Heading into next season, the Giants need to have the right man in place to lead the franchise into the long-term future. Plenty of names have already been brought up as potential fits.
While there are some big names who have been mentioned as possible candidates, there are some up-and-coming coaches who could make sense as well. Whoever gets the job, New York needs to make sure that they’re capable of being in town for years to come and of being able to develop a young roster.
One intriguing name has been brought up as a possible candidate. In order to land him, the Giants would have to poach him from the Green Bay Packers.
ESPN NFL analyst Peter Schrager believes that Packers’ defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley will be a name to watch for New York. He also mentioned Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.
“Two names with strong NJ or Giants ‘connections’ I’d start keeping an eye on as NYG starts this thorough HC search,” Schrager wrote. “1. Jeff Hafley, Packers DC, Montvale, NJ native; HC at Boston College 2020-2023. 2. Steve Spagnuolo, Chiefs DC, Giants Super Bowl winning DC + onetime interim HC.”
Hafley has been a popular name when talking about future head coaching jobs over the last couple of years. He has worked wonders for Green Bay’s defense since taking over as the team’s defensive coordinator before last season.
At 46 years old, Hafley brings great experience, but is also young enough to be a long-term option.
More than likely, Hafley will land a head coaching gig this coming offseason. With the struggles the Packers have had under Matt LaFleur in 2025, there is a chance that he could be an option for Green Bay if the team chooses to make a change.
However, it is much more likely that Hafley will leave the Packers. Assuming that is the case, the Giants are a team who would make a ton of sense for him. They should at least take a long look in his direction.
Expect to hear New York connected to Hafley more in the future. He’s well worth monitoring closely as a possible candidate.
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