Matt Nagy has gone from New York Dragons quarterback to Giants offensive coordinator
Matt Nagy as Kansas City offensive coordinator on Jan. 5, 2025. Credit: AP/David Zalubowski
Sean Tremblay has spent the last 15 seasons as head football coach at Comsewogue High School in Port Jefferson Station. He still has fond memories from playing in the Arena Football League.
In 2002, he was an offensive lineman on the New York Dragons. He wouldn’t have guessed that one of his quarterbacks would find his way back to New York as a coach.
But that’s what Matt Nagy did. He will be hired as the Giants’ offensive coordinator, and for those who got to know him on the Dragons, it’s a full-circle moment.
“Great teammate, good guy,” Tremblay recalled. “If you told me he was going to be the offensive coordinator for [Kansas City] and win Super Bowls, I’d never tell you that.”
Nagy won a pair of Super Bowls with Kansas City in 2023 and 2024. He spent four years as the Bears’ head coach from 2018-21. Now he’s tasked with elevating an offense led by quarterback Jaxson Dart, receiver Malik Nabers and running backs Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Cam Skattebo.
It’s the latest challenge in a career that included two years on Long Island with the Dragons. At the time, Nagy was a young quarterback trying to figure things out after a failed tryout with the Packers and workouts with the Jaguars and Cowboys.
Dragons coach John Gregory compared Nagy to Kurt Warner, telling reporters in 2001 they had the same aura and tools to be great. When Nagy got around the team, he quickly impressed with not only his physical talents but his football intelligence.
Matt Nagy of the Columbus Destroyers throws a pass against of the New York Dragons at Nassau Coliseum on April 13, 2008 in Uniondale. The Dragons won, 62-44. Credit: Getty Images/Mike Stobe
“You could just see how smart he was back then,” said Peter Schwartz, then the Dragons’ play-by-play announcer, “so it’s not surprising that he went on to have success with other teams and it was not a surprise that he had success as a coach.”
Nagy started six games for the Dragons in 2002. He split time with Danny Ragsdale and Danny Kanell before being benched when Aaron Garcia, the team’s starter before the season, returned after signing with the 49ers.
Even in that short stint, Nagy, who recorded 1,242 passing yards, 27 touchdown passes and five interceptions, left a mark on the field.
“I remember him having a commanding presence in the huddle,” Trombley said. “It’s like, ‘All right, guys, relax.’ Sometimes corralling us was quite the chore, but he did a pretty good job of it.”
Sean Tremblay as Comsewogue football's head coach in 2019. Credit: Daniel De Mato
Nagy then went through another hurdle when he tore an ACL. He missed the entire 2003 season but found an unlikely pivot doing color commentary for the Dragons.
Schwartz said Nagy was planning to call high school football in Pennsylvania but wanted some experience first. The chance came when Schwartz’s partner had to miss a game and Nagy asked if he could fill in.
Schwartz then learned that Nagy was a natural not only as a talker but how well he could break down what happened on the field.
“He saw plays developing very quickly, and not just on offense,” Schwartz said. “He could sense, obviously, being a quarterback, he needed to know how to read defenses, and that was so helpful in the broadcast booth, because he could see plays unfolding before I could even call them.”
Nagy was traded from the Dragons in 2003 and found later success appearing in two ArenaBowl championship games.
When his playing career ended, he quickly moved to coaching in 2008 as an intern with the Eagles and Andy Reid.
Eighteen years later, he’s overseeing the Giants’ offense to help develop Dart heading into the quarterback’s second season. Schwartz is glad to see how far Nagy has come since their days on Long Island.
“I couldn’t be happier that he’s back in the area,” said Schwartz, now an on-air personality on WFAN. “I think a lot of people are really going to see the offensive mind that he is.”
Tremblay noted that in 2002, he and Nagy were just 20-somethings keeping their football dreams alive. Now that they’re both coaches, he’s glad to see Nagy continuing in his next chapter with the Giants.
“We had a good time, won some games and clearly springboarded Matt into this next chapter in his life,” Tremblay said. “Just unbelievably proud of him. He’s a good person, and good things happen to good people.”
Evan Barnes covers the Giants for Newsday. He previously covered the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
