The New York Giants will hire a new head coach this offseason after deciding to end the tenure of Brian Daboll on Monday, and the role is likely to be extremely attractive to plenty of highly regarded coaches following the emergence of Jaxson Dart.
While the Giants, in a season in which they have been beset by injuries, have crumbled to a 2-8 record, Dart has impressed under Daboll’s tutelage in his rookie season.
Mike Kafka will lead the team down the stretch as the Giants aim to finish another lost season on a high, but the focus for the organization will be on finding a coach who can ensure Dart continues ascending while putting the team as a whole on the path to success.
And one prominent NFL analyst believes another coach who could soon be fired may be the right man for the job.
Who Should Replace Brian Daboll as Head Coach of the New York Giants?
ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky was asked on Monday who he believes should be under consideration for the job.
The first name out of Orlovsky’s mouth was perhaps a surprising one: Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski.
Stefanski’s position with the Browns can hardly be considered secure following a 2-7 start following a 3-14 record in 2024. Cleveland ranks last in PFSN’s Impact metrics on offense, dragging down a defense that is fourth in the NFL by the same measure.
But Stefanski is a two-time Coach of the Year, and Orlovsky feels he could be exactly what the Giants need.
“The No. 1 name that I would pay attention to if I was the Giants is what happens in Cleveland with Kevin Stefanski,” Orlovsky said on NFL Live. “If I could handpick a guy, it would be Stefanski.”
Orlovsky rejected criticism that has come Stefanski’s way as the losses have stacked up in Cleveland, pointing to his wider body of work. Stefanski has overseen two 11-win seasons in his time with the Browns and, prior to 2024, had never won fewer than seven games in a single campaign.
“He’s an outstanding coach. Two-time Coach of the Year. I understand people in Cleveland are like ‘this guy can’t coach.’ There’s a lot of empirical data that would say otherwise,” Orlovsky added.
Orlovsky articulated the conundrum the Giants now face as a franchise that has typically had its most successful years under defensive-minded coaches.
“This is a difficult spot for the Giants. I really believe that,” Orlovsky explained. “Because there’s no question you need to get a guy that’s gonna bring the best out of Jaxson Dart, obviously. But also when the Giants have been at their best it’s been under a coach like a Parcells or a Tom Coughlin. A defensive-minded, hard-nosed disciplinarian, it fits the culture, it’s not just offensive-centric. So it’s trying to find the balance.”
Orlovsky mentioned Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy as other potential candidates, while adding he would “entertain” a possible return to the NFL for Jon Gruden.
The more flashes Dart shows as the Giants play out the stretch, the more coaches are likely to have interest in the role. However, as they transition to another new era, the Giants may be keeping a keen eye on how bad things get in Cleveland.