Here’s what John Mara, Dave Gettleman are looking for in next Giants head coach
Giants general manager Dave Gettleman speaks after being introduced while team owner John Mara looks on, Friday, Dec. 29, 2017, in East Rutherford, N.J. Credit: AP / Adam Hunger
John Mara does not want another Ben McAdoo.
That much was clear from the Giants co-owner’s description of what he’d like to see from the next head coach of the team.
“You’re looking for somebody who has intelligence but leadership qualities too,” Mara said. “Somebody who is going to be able to command the room when he stands up there in front of that team. We don’t have any preconceived notion about whether that has to be an offensive or defensive coach. Ideally it would be somebody with previous head coaching experience, but that doesn’t have to be the case.”
The Giants will begin their search process on Monday, Mara said, by asking other teams for permission to interview candidates. That was one of the reasons why Mara wanted to hire new general manager Dave Gettleman this week, so they could “hit the road.”
“Come Monday or Tuesday there are going to be a number of head coaches that get fired and a lot of teams out there competing for quality candidates,” Mara said. “Being ready to do that starting Monday morning was certainly something we wanted to do.”
Experience certainly seems to be at the forefront of Mara’s mind.
“I think it has to be somebody who has had head coaching experience or at least has been a coordinator for a significant period of time,” he said. “If you don’t have that, the odds are really stacked against you. It’s not impossible to succeed without that, but the more experience that individual has as either a head coach or as a coordinator on either side of the ball I think is very important.”
McAdoo was hired as head coach of the Giants having never been a head coach at any level. He had spent just two seasons as the Giants’ offensive coordinator before he was promoted.
Mara was also frustrated by McAdoo’s inability to deliver clear messages.
“That’s not one of his strengths,” Mara said last month before McAdoo was fired.
As for new general manager Dave Gettleman, he had his own list of criteria.
“I really believe that the head coaching job is a CEO position,” Gettleman said. “You look at the great head coaches, I’ll tell you right now, there’s not a dumb one in the group. They’re all leaders. They all know how to lead men. That’s what you need. You need intelligence, you need leadership, and you have to have a guy with vision. Those are critical components you’re looking for. “
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.
