Giants, Jets continue to work on filling out their coaching staffs
Giants coach Brian Daboll and Jets coach Robert Saleh. Credit: James Escher; Patrick E. McCarthy
The Giants continue their search for a defensive coordinator, as Wink Martindale departed in a messy fashion that should have been avoidable.
As of this writing, Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka remains a candidate for the Seahawks' OC job. The Giants went 6-11 last season and ranked 29th in the NFL in yards and 30th in points scored. With the prevailing thought that coach Brian Daboll could be the offensive play-caller in 2024, that may change how any OC candidate would view that opportunity.
The Giants did hire Michael Ghobrial as their special teams coordinator. He replaces Thomas McGaughey, who was let go with a year remaining on his contract. Ghobrial spent three seasons as an assistant special teams coach for the Jets under coordinator Brant Boyer.
The new offensive line coach is Carmen Bricillo, a 20-year coaching veteran, including five years in the NFL. The Giants also hired running backs coach Joel Thomas, who had been with the Saints since 2015, to replace Jeff Nixon, who left for the OC job at Syracuse.
Also, Aaron Wellman returned to the Giants as a member of the strength and conditioning staff.
The Jets, meanwhile, retained an important part of Robert Saleh’s staff when they extended defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton’s contract. They also are hiring Tony Dews as their running backs coach. Dews spent five seasons as the Titans' running backs coach from 2018-22 and was Tennessee’s tight ends coach this past season. Dews replaces Taylor Embree, who was let go.
They Jets interviewed former Panthers running backs coach Duce Staley as well. Staley was hired by the Browns as running backs coach.
The Jets also could make other changes on offense, and need to replace Gobrial.
With Al Iannazzone
New head coaches
Since the end of the regular season six teams have replaced their head coach. There are still two openings:
Team He’s in He’s out
Atlanta Raheem Morris Arthur Smith
Carolina Dave Canales Frank Reich
Las Vegas *Antonio Pierce Josh McDaniels
L.A. Chargers Jim Harbaugh Brandon Staley
New England Jerod Mayo Bill Belichick
Seattle Open Pete Carroll
Tennessee Brian Callahan Mike Vrabel
Washington Open Ron Rivera
*-Had been interim head coach.
Kimberly Jones covers the Giants for Newsday, a beat she first worked in the early 2000s before joining the YES Network to cover the Yankees. She worked for the NFL Network for more than a decade and has been heard semi-regularly on WFAN.
