In his first season with the New York Giants, Brian Daboll guided the team to the playoffs for the first time since 2016 and led them to their first postseason victory since Super Bowl XLVI.
That campaign earned Daboll accolades from the Associated Press, having been named the 2022 Coach of the Year.
But 2023 saw significant regression from the Giants, highlighted by in-fighting and a partial coordinator exodus following a 6-11 finish.
Most notably, reports surfaced suggesting Daboll repeatedly lost control of his emotions, lashing out at assistants, culminating in an ugly divorce from defensive coordinator Wink Martindale.
Because of the complete 180, both on and off the field, many have suggested that Daboll will enter the 2024 season on the hot seat. But retired Giants legend Tiki Barber thinks that’s all nonsense.
“It is complete and utter BS,” Barber said on WFAN Thursday, via Audacy. “When you think about how well this team played, despite all of the issues, at the end of the season, that’s coaching.
“There is some excitement that is going to build around here and what Daboll can do with this group of talent on offense, if Daniel Jones is healthy. I think the Giants can be good. They’re not gonna be terrible. . . it is such disrespect to a team that is coached exceptionally well. There are not a lot of teams that are coached exceptionally well.”
If Barber is wrong and the Giants continue spiraling, it’s hard to imagine Daboll surviving even after co-owner John Mara said he had “all the confidence in the world” in his head coach.
Fair or unfair, Daboll’s seat is warm and how well the team plays will determine how much hotter or cooler it gets.
