The New York Giants need to get their head coach hire right. Doing so would finally end the decade-long carousel the 101-year franchise has endured since Tom Coughlin left in 2015.
Since then, the Giants have cycled through six coaches — if you include interims Steve Spagnuolo and Mika Kafka following midseason firings — and none have even produced a winning record.
After Brian Daboll was most recently fired on Nov. 10, general manager Joe Schoen has begun his newest search. Thanks to a viral gaffe by quarterback Jaxson Dart in Thursday’s Ole Miss-Miami game, we already know the two potential leading candidates: former head coaches John Harbaugh and Kevin Stefanski.
But as always, things may not go to plan. Including the two recently fired coaches, here are five candidates for the Giants’ job and what they’d bring to the table:
John Harbaugh
It’s been reported that Harbaugh is the Giants’ top choice. But with the Miami Dolphins firing head coach Mike McDaniel as well, they’ve quickly shot up the ranks as another potential suitor for the Super-Bowl-winning gaffer.
Harbaugh would bring decades of experience that none of the other candidates have. As the Ravens’ head coach from 2008-25, he compiled a 180-113 record, winning at least 10 games 11 times. And he claimed Super Bowl XLVII in 2012 to boot. The Giants, on the other hand, haven’t even sniffed the 10-win mark since 2016.
New York would be wise to hire Harbaugh considering only one of its past six coaches, Pat Shurmur, had even held the position before moving to the Meadowlands. Daboll had been the Bills’ offensive coordinator for four years. Ben McAdoo was promoted to succeed Coughlin in 2016 after previously serving as the Giants’ OC. Joe Judge coached special teams.
None of those hires worked. Perhaps experience played a factor, which Harbaugh can bring. He developed both Joe Flacco and Lamar Jackson into quality signal callers. With the Giants, he could help Dart build off a stellar rookie season.
Kevin Stefanski
Stefanski certainly doesn’t carry as much experience as Harbaugh, but he’s been around the block. And that’s more than you can say about Daboll, Judge or McAdoo.
He helmed the Browns from 2020-25, finishing with a slightly under-.500 record. Still, he produced two strong seasons in 2020 and 2023, where he led Cleveland to the playoffs and captured two Coach of the Year awards.
You don’t do that by accident. In 2023, Stefanski made an aging Flacco look like he was back in his prime when Plan A (Deshaun Watson) backfired. This season, he helped produce an impressive draft class that included likely Defensive Rookie of the Year Carson Schwesinger, star running back Quinshon Judkins and quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel.
What holds Stefanski back is recent performance. He produced eight combined wins over the last two seasons. But that can easily be chalked up to a poor quarterback situation. Flacco, now 40, predictably regressed. Watson didn’t play in 2025, logged just seven appearances in 2024 and still carries a massive contract that holds the Browns back.
Stefanski was backed into an impossible situation. Maybe with Dart, who housed 24 combined touchdowns in 2025, and a favorable situation in New York, he could rebound in 2026.
Vance Joseph
One of the Giants’ major weaknesses in 2025 was their defense. They ranked 26th in points allowed (25.8) and 28th in yards allowed (359.5) per game, contributing to numerous blown leads, like losses to the Broncos, Lions and Bears. A defensive head coach, like Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, could fix that.
Contrary to New York, Joseph has helped Denver place first in yards and third in points allowed per game and capture the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.
Some may be apprehensive of Joseph’s previous head coaching tenure, though. Before slotting in as Denver’s DC, Joseph assumed head responsibilities for the franchise from 2017-18 after steering the Miami Dolphins to the postseason as their defensive guru the year prior. However, his first stint with the Broncos featured just 11 total wins, leading to a swift exit.
Joseph hasn’t been a head coach since. But maybe his defensive prowess is enough for a redo with the Giants. After all, they have the offensive pieces, something the Broncos didn’t have back then. Pair Joseph with a strong OC, and he can clearly handle the Giants’ defense.
Kliff Kingsbury
Kliff Kingsbury also has an impressive resume. Through his typical “Air Raid” offense, he developed quarterbacks like Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel and two-time NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes at Texas Tech. Then, he did the same with Kyler Murray and Jayden Daniels in the NFL.
Still, Kingsbury comes with his drawbacks. He didn’t impress much as a head coach. In four years with the Cardinals (2019-22), he only had one winning season. Even as Texas Tech’s leader, he never won more than eight games.
Kingsbury didn’t do himself any favors with a poor 2025 season as the Commanders’ OC. Washington won just five games, and Kingsbury has already been replaced by the up-and-coming David Blough.
But the Commanders’ struggles can be chalked up to injuries. Daniels went down with a dislocated elbow in Week 9 and only briefly returned. That shouldn’t deter the Giants from hiring Kingsbury if bigger fish like Harbaugh and Stefanski aren’t available.
Antonio Pierce
It’s entirely possible that the Giants choose familiarity over experience if their options become limited. That’s because former Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce played linebacker for the team from 2005-09, all under owner John Mara.
Pierce started his head coaching career hot, finishing the 2023 season 5-4 after sliding in as the Raiders’ interim following Josh McDaniel’s firing. However, Pierce was sacked just a year later following a 4-13 season.
Like Joseph, Pierce can help on the defensive side. He was an integral piece of the Giants’ 2007 Super Bowl squad and helped Las Vegas allow just 16 points per contest over his first nine games to end the 2023 season.
The Giants would likely hire more experienced coaches over Pierce. But if it comes down to Pierce and someone like Kingsbury, maybe Pierce’s connections land him the gig.
Thumbnail Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
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