Giants interview Panthers DC Steve Wilks but make no offer
Secondary/Pass Defense Coordinator Steve Wilks of the Carolina Panthers during NFL game action against the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium on September 15, 2013 in Orchard Park, New York. Credit: Getty Images / Tom Szczerbowski
Steve Wilks came. And Steve Wilks left.
The Panthers defensive coordinator on Tuesday became the fifth candidate to interview for the Giants’ head coach vacancy and the first who would have been eligible to receive and accept a job offer on the spot. That did not happen, though, as Wilks made his way to Arizona for an interview with the Cardinals scheduled for Wednesday.
It doesn’t necessarily rule out Wilks from the Giants’ process and thinking. He still could become the 18th coach of the franchise. It will just have to wait.
There was conjecture that the Giants might close their search with an offer to Wilks, 48, at the conclusion of his interview, which was the first with co-owner Steve Tisch involved. Co-owner John Mara, general manager Dave Gettleman and assistant general manager Kevin Abrams — the three who interviewed the previous four candidates — also were part of the meeting.
For most of them, it was an introduction to Wilks. Gettleman, though, knows Wilks well from working with him in Carolina.
The Giants are scheduled to interview former Broncos associate head coach Eric Studesville on Wednesday. That is the last known interview on their schedule, after which they are expected to meet Thursday to weigh each of the candidates and, perhaps, reach a decision.
The last time the Giants hired a head coach they rushed the decision a bit to avoid losing their candidate to another opportunity. Ben McAdoo was set to interview with the Eagles when the Giants made him their offer two years ago. McAdoo took the Giants to the playoffs in his first year but did not complete his second season. That experience may have scared them into being more diligent and less reactive this time around.
Wilks, Studesville and Steve Spagnuolo, their interim head coach, are the only candidates to whom the Giants can officially offer the job right away. Patriots offensive and defensive coordinators Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia and Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur have not met with Tisch and technically cannot interact with the Giants until their teams have been eliminated from the playoffs or during the bye week before the Super Bowl.
Wilks’ one shortcoming for the Giants may be his very limited experience as a head coach — one year, 1999, at Savannah State. That was something Mara was adamant about when he began the search process.
“I think, obviously, it has to be somebody who has either had head coaching experience or at least has been a coordinator for a significant period of time, because I think if you don’t have that, the odds are really stacked against you,” Mara said Dec. 29. “It’s not impossible for you to succeed without that, but I think the more experience that that individual has as either a head coach or as a coordinator on either side of the ball is very important.”
Wilks served as assistant head coach of the Panthers for the past three seasons but just one as defensive coordinator. He’s been a defensive backs position coach throughout his NFL career from 2006-2016.
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
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