Brian Daboll is entering his third season as the New York Giants head coach and it will be a pivotal one for him after a 6-11 finish in 2023.
But … could it be his last one if things don’t go well again?
Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports lists Daboll high on his list of coaches on “shaky ground” this season, second behind only the Jets’ Robert Saleh.
Few current coaches have seen their stock rise and fall in such a short period of time. Appropriately crowned Coach of the Year for rejuvenating Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley en route to a surprise playoff win in 2022, Daboll was far more mercurial as a leader and situational play-caller amid his roster’s rash of injuries in 2023. After exiling strong-willed defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, he’ll be charged with reviving Jones once more, and securing commitment from a club that hasn’t kept a coach for more than two years since Tom Coughlin.
Daboll, after a 6-1 start to his career with Big Blue, has gone 9-17-1 in the regular season. Injuries at key positions (quarterback, offensive line) have been the main culprit, but Daboll has not been able to overcome such setbacks.
In fact, his gruff, controlling style — which might be acceptable on a winning team — is not working here with these Giants, hence the bloodletting among the coaching ranks this offseason.
Daboll, by admission, needs to be calmer and more pragmatic. This offseason he showed up much more physically fit than last year, and his mindset appears to be fitter as well.
After over two decades as an assistant, Daboll might finally be getting this head coaching gig down.
“Fortunately I’ve had 28 years [as a football coach]; this will be 24 years in the NFL,” he told reporters in March. “Seeing it from a different perspective the last two years as a head coach. But when someone comes into your room you have so many things on your plate and you’re trying to do this. You’ve got to take a deep breath and make sure when they’re in your room that’s the most important thing to them. They wouldn’t come in your room for any other reason. You’ve got to take a deep breath and make sure you become a really good listener in that regard.”
