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Folks, with the news dropping yesterday that the Giants are requesting to interview Dallas Cowboys Defensive Coordinator Dan Quinn to be their head coach, I decided that it was time for me to make a list detailing my shortlist of dream candidates.
One thing you’ll notice is that all of the head coaches that I desire to bring in are offensive minded coaches or CEO coaching types that can coach both sides of the ball. The reality of the NFL today is that over the past few seasons, the best coaches that have been hired have been offensive minded. Teams are lining up to find the next Sean McVay or Kyle Shanahan and if the Giants play their cards right, they just may find him.
So without further adieu, let’s get to my list of dream candidates!
1. Jim Harbaugh, University of Michigan Head Coach
The number one head coach on my shortlist is Jim Harbaugh. He’s been successful everywhere he’s gone and rumor has it that he’s intrigued by the Giants job opening. He’s also coming off his best season as the Head Coach at the University of Michigan making a College Football Playoff appearance as Big Ten Champions and beating Ohio State.
But has Michigan reached their ceiling under Harbaugh? The Big Ten has numerous recruiting disadvantages compared to the SEC and is clearly an inferior conference. The transfer portal also complicates things for a lot of programs and Michigan won’t be an exception to that despite having a great booster club and fan base.
If Harbaugh decides that he’d like one more shot at chasing a Lombardi Trophy then the Giants would be an operation that he could help build from the ground up. But if he decides to stay at his Alma Mater where he is liked and respected, nobody could blame him for that either.
2. Doug Pederson, Former Philadelphia Eagles Head Coach
While many Giants fans will resent this pick because Doug Pederson tanked a meaningless game at the end of the 2020 season that knocked a 6-10 Giants team that didn’t deserve to be in the playoffs anyway out, he would be a slam dunk hire for the Giants. Pederson is a great offensive coach and he was able to beat Tom Brady in the Super Bowl with Nick Foles. That alone is incredibly impressive.
Throughout his NFL career as Head Coach of the Eagles, Pederson has also only had two losing seasons with three playoff appearances in those five seasons. Getting someone with experience leading a team is a major advantage for any candidate.
3. Kellen Moore, Dallas Cowboys Offensive Coordinator
The Boise State legend is primed to get a Head Coaching position in the very near future and if the Giants are able to lure him away from the division rival Dallas Cowboys then that would be an added bonus. If you’re looking for someone who can be the next Sean McVay then Kellen Moore is surely a candidate to be just that.
At just 33 years of age, Moore could become the face of your franchise for decades. He would also bring some new perspectives into a Giants building that definitely needs change.
The downside to Kellen Moore is that he’s never been a head coach before but that’s something that he can learn how to do over time.
4. Byron Leftwich, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Offensive Coordinator
The former first round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars has had an outstanding career as the Offensive Coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Bruce Arians, who is an incredible coach, speaks incredibly highly of Byron Leftwich and talks about how he really commands the Buccaneers offensive game plan week in and week out.
Leftwich is still young at just 42 years of age and he has experience winning a Super Bowl as an offensive coordinator. He will be a head coach in the NFL potentially as soon as this offseason and I’d love it if the Giants hired him.