NY Giants Fire Head Coach Brian Daboll After Another Late

By Chris Spiker From Daily Voice

The New York Giants have fired head coach Brian Daboll after the team blew another double-digit lead, falling to 2-8 on the season.

Daboll was fired in the middle of his fourth season with the Giants, the team announced on Monday, Nov. 10. Assistant head coach and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka will take over as New York's interim head coach.

The Giants fired Daboll one day after losing to the Chicago Bears 24-20. It was the second time that the Giants lost this season after leading by at least 10 points with less than four minutes remaining, which has only been matched by the 2004 Seattle Seahawks since the NFL merger in 1970, according to ESPN.

Daboll finishes his Giants tenure with a 20-40-1 record and a .336 winning percentage. 

"We spoke this morning about the direction of our franchise on the field, and we have decided that, at this time, it is in our best interest to make a change at the head coaching position," president John Mara and chairman Steve Tisch said in a joint statement. "The past few seasons have been nothing short of disappointing, and we have not met our expectations for this franchise. We understand the frustrations of our fans, and we will work to deliver a significantly improved product.

"We appreciate Coach Daboll for his contributions to our organization. We wish the Daboll family all the best in the future."

Daboll's firing comes after a sharp fall from when the Associated Press named him 2022 NFL Coach of the Year. In his debut season, he led the Giants to a 9-7-1 record and a playoff win in Minnesota.

New York has struggled ever since, posting weaker records of 6-11 in 2023 and 4-13 in 2024. This is also the third straight season when the Giants have started 2-8.

After the loss in Chicago, Daboll was asked about his job security.

"I'm just focused on these guys in the locker room," he said.

Adding to the coaching change, the Giants have also lost rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, who suffered a concussion against the Bears and his fourth head injury of the year. Rookie running back Cam Skattebo will miss the rest of the season after dislocating his ankle in a late October win against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Daboll's time with the Giants was marred by several incidents, including a $100,000 fine for entering the team's medical tent while Dart was being evaluated for a concussion against the Eagles. 

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, general manager Joe Schoen once had to monitor the coaching headsets to evaluate Daboll's communication. Daboll also once flipped a tablet at Daniel Jones, who's experiencing a resurgence as the starting QB for the 8-2 Indianapolis Colts.

Schoen will remain with the Giants and help hire a new head coach.

"We feel like Joe has assembled a good young nucleus of talent, and we look forward to its development," said Mara. "Unfortunately, the results over the past three years have not been what any of us want. We take full responsibility for those results and look forward to the kind of success our fans expect."

Before joining the Giants, Daboll spent four seasons as offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills, where he developed 2024 NFL Most Valuable Player Josh Allen. The 50-year-old also won the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship at the University of Alabama as the offensive coordinator under legendary coach Nick Saban.

Daboll's greatest success came alongside Bill Belichick in New England. He helped the Patriots win five Super Bowls and was the AP's NFL Assistant Coach of the Year in 2020.

Daboll was also the quarterbacks coach for the New York Jets in 2007 and 2008.