Time is up for Brian Daboll in New York. The Giants fired their head coach Monday following a Week 10 loss to Chicago.
It was the fourth consecutive defeat for New York, and just the latest by way of a blown lead. The Giants allowed the Bears to come back from 10 points down in the fourth quarter leading to a 24-20 loss. It marks the fourth instance this season in which New York blew a double-digit lead in a road game.
It is the second time it lost while leading by at least 10 points with under 4 minutes to play.
The Giants are now 0-6 on the road this year.
The move comes just three years after Daboll was named the Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year. He guided the Giants to nine wins and a spot in the divisional round of the playoffs in his first season. It has been a rocky time since then, however.
The Giants have gone just 11-33 over the last three seasons under Daboll. The team has won just five of its last 27 games dating back to the start of the 2024 season. He went 20-40-1 during his time in New York.
“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 released by the Giants.
“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.”
Daboll has fate sealed with latest injury
Chicago scored 14 unanswered points to end the game as the Giants worked without quarterback Jaxson Dart. The rookie signal caller looked exactly like what the franchise needed to spark a turnaround. He left Sunday’s game with a concussion between the third and fourth quarters leaving Russell Wilson to close out the loss.
Wilson went 3-for-7 passing with 45 yards during the fourth-quarter collapse against the Bears.
The Giants won two of their first three games after Daboll and the staff decided to insert Dart into the starting lineup. Including a 34-17 win over division rival Philadelphia.
Prior to exiting the game Sunday, Dart rushed for two touchdowns and passed for 242 yards. The first score helped Dart set a new NFL quarterback record making it his fifth consecutive game with a rushing touchdown.
The Giants lost their first three games of the season behind Wilson. The veteran was benched ahead of Week 4 matchup with San Diego. Dart led New York to a 21-18 victory in that game.
Season-ending injuries to running back Cam Skattebo and receiver Malik Nabers also set the Giants’ offense back.
Daboll made his name guiding the offense in Buffalo behind star quarterback Josh Allen. That same success didn’t follow him to New York. Daniel Jones struggled at the position under the now-former Giants head coach before being released last November.
Jones has reignited his career in Indianapolis this season and currently leads the NFL in passing with 2,659 yards.
Mike Kafka will replace Daboll as interim head coach in New York
Assistant head coach/offensive coordinator Mike Kafka will take over the reins in New York as Daboll departs. He has been with the Giants since 2022 as offensive coordinator and added the assistant head coach tag last season.
Kafka has experience helping to guide a successful offense. He held several different roles during his stint with Kansas City prior to arriving with the Giants. Kafka was the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Chiefs for the 2020 and 2021 seasons when he worked with Patrick Mahomes.
Coming into the season there were questions about the futures of both Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen. Mara expressed support for Schoen Monday, and he will work to find a new head coach heading into the 2026 season.
“We feel like Joe has assembled a good young nucleus of talent, and we look forward to its development,” Mara said. “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.”
Possible replacements in New York
There will naturally be plenty of names thrown around as potential replacements for Daboll in the NFL’s biggest market. The Giants are the second team to make an in-season move so far. Tennessee fired Brian Callahan just six weeks into the season last month.
Klint Kubiak (Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator)
In a world where every franchise is looking for the next best up-and-coming coach, Kubiak appears to be on the trajectory to becoming a head coach. The Seahawks currently have the No. 3 scoring offense in the NFL behind quarterback Sam Darnold. Receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba has become one of the top players at his position across the league under Kubiak. He has pedigree as the son of longtime NFL head coach Gary Kubiak and comes from the San Francisco 49ers coaching tree.
Jesse Minter (Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator)
Minter could very well be the answer should New York opt to look on defense for its next head coach. The Chargers defensive coordinator is what Kubiak is becoming on the offensive side. He will be a hot name this offseason as a head coach for some franchise following his performance over the last two seasons in LA. Minter has extensive experience at both the college and NFL level after joining Jim Harbaugh with the Chargers after time together at Michigan.
Mike Kafka (New York Giants interim head coach)
Another option for Mara, Tisch and Schoen is to simply stay in-house with the decision. Kafka will get his opportunity to audition for the full-time gig over the next seven games. It is difficult to ignore the production Dart has made under Kafka this season. A decision to keep him in a full-time capacity would certainly help the Giants retain some continuity moving into 2026.
Mike McCarthy (former Dallas Cowboys head coach)
The longtime Green Bay Packers head coach and former Cowboys head coach is without a job this season. Still, he will be a candidate for potentially several jobs this winter. He guided the No. 1 scoring offense in two of his five seasons in Dallas and owns a Super Bowl title as a head coach. He is familiar with the NFC East and the Giants know what they would get with McCarthy.
Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss head coach)
The Ole Miss head coach is seemingly being attached to every college head coach opening already this fall. Kiffin is no stranger to the NFL having previously served as the head coach of the Raiders. He also has the clear connection to Dart as his former college head coach. Kiffin will likely have his pick of college jobs, but would an NFL job in New York be enough to sway him back to the pros?