New York Giants head coach Pat Shurmur finds himself squarely on the hot seat as the 2019 season winds down.
With the New Giants now owning a record of 2-9 and not showing much progress in recent weeks, there is a growing cry for head coach Pat Shurmur to be replaced. Shurmur was always a curious choice, as his hiring was more a case of the Giants needing a head coach in the wrong year more than anything. The embattled coach has done himself no favors on or off the field, as his crassness with the media has been almost as hard to watch as his team’s performance. Shurmur now owns a top-three worst record of all time for coaches with at least 50 games, so to say the jury is out on whether or not he can coach would be putting things mildly.
I’ve already written about five potential replacements earlier in the season, but this potential search figures to be a vast one.
If the New York ownership chooses to oblige the fans and replace Shurmur, here are five more candidates that they should consider for their net head coach:
1. Matt Rhule-Head Coach Baylor University
Matt Rhule has ties to the New York Giants organization, having served as an assistant offensive line coach in 2012, when he helped coach former Super Bowl champion linemen such as David Diehl, Kevin Boothe and Chris Snee. As a result, Rhule is familiar with the organization and the ownership is familiar with him, making him a likely candidate for an interview should the Giants move on from Pat Shurmur. He has been an early fan favorite for the job.
Rhule has spent time as the head coach of Temple University as well as Baylor University following his time with the Giants. During his tenure at Temple, he would go a combined 28-23 from 2013-2016, leading the Owls to an American Athletic Conference Championship in 2016.
While head coaching Baylor, the New York City native, has returned the program to relevance, following a 1-11 record to start his coaching career at the university, Rhule has gone 16-7 since, including starting this year off 10-1.
If Giants ownership and management group decides to explore the college ranks for their next coach, Matt Rhule should certainly be amongst the top candidates. His familiarity with the franchise, coupled with his success as a college head coach, makes him a strong candidate as the next head coach of the Giants.
2. Urban Meyer- Former head coach at Ohio State University
Urban Meyer has been rumored to be atop the list of head coaching candidates for the Dallas Cowboys, should they decide to move on from head coach Jason Garrett following the conclusion of the season. That said, he should also be atop the list of potential replacements for Pat Shurmur if the New York Giants decide to move on from him.
Meyer has been one of the most successful coaches in college football in recent times, having coached both the Florida Gators and Ohio State Buckeyes to National Championships, as their head coach. While this is likely the biggest longshot of them all, if he’s looking to not only get back into coaching, but coaching in the NFL, than the Giants simply have to reach out.
Meyer gained notoriety as a head coach, while serving in the role at the University of Utah, where he worked from 2003-2004. From there, he would move on to become the head coach of the University of Florida, where he would win two National Championship trophies (2006, 2008). Meyer would take a two year hiatus from coaching before returning to the ranks with Ohio State University in 2012. He would win a national championship with the Buckeyes in 2014.
In addition to national championships, Meyer’s resume includes a number of other accolades, including being a 3-time Big 10 champion (2014, 2017, 2018), 2-time SEC champion (2006, 2008), 2-time Mid West Conference champions (2003, 2004), Woody Hayes coach of the year (2004, 2012), Eddie Robinson coach of the year (2004), George Munger Award (2004), as well as the Sports Illustrated and Sporting News coach of the decade (2009).
With a 187-32 overall record as a college football head coach, including an impressive 12-3 record in bowl games, Meyers has demonstrated his ability to win wherever he goes, including a dominating record in big games. If Meyers is interested in trying his hand at coaching in the NFL, the Giants need to be in on him as a potential candidate to replace Shurmur.
3. Jim Harbaugh- Head Coach at the University of Michigan
If Jim Harbaugh and the University of Michigan decide to go their separate ways following the college football season, Harbaugh should certainly be on New York’s radar as a potential head coaching candidate – my colleague covered this in detail last month.
Harbaugh has had success at both the college and professional levels. First having success at San Diego University before moving on to Stanford University, where he would go 29-21 from 2007-2010 as their head coach. After succeeding with Stanford, Harbaugh would move to professional football, taking the helm as the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers from 2011-2014, accumulating a record of 44-19-1 while taking the team to a Super Bowl in 2013. Following his tenure in San Francisco, Harbaugh would take over as the head coach of his alma mater, the University of Michigan, where he has coached the Wolverines to a 47-16 record from 2015 through this year.
The one knock against Harbaugh is his inability to win the big game, having gone a combine 2-6 in college bowl games with Stanford and Michigan and losing the only Super Bowl he ever coached in. That said, the level of success that Harbaugh has enjoyed in college and in the pros cannot be ignored, making him a prime candidate to potentially be the next head coach of the Giants.
4. Mike McCarthy- Former head coach Green Bay Packers
Mike McCarthy was the former head coach of the Green Bay Packers from 2006-2018, leading them to a Super Bowl championship in Super Bowl XLV in 2011. During his time with the Packers, McCarthy would amass a record of 135-85-2.
While regularly enjoying successful years during his time in Green Bay, McCarthy’s reign as the head coach of the team would come to an end due to a tumultuous relationship between he and star quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Following a disappointing 2018, the Packers decided to move on from McCarthy, opting to go with current coach Matt LaFleur as their new top guy.
Despite the recent issues, McCarthy’s success and experience as a head coach, and the fact that he has won a Super Bowl, make him a very viable candidate should the Giants decide to move on from current coach Pat Shurmur.
5. Ron Rivera-Head coach Carolina Panthers
Ron Rivera is currently under contract to coach the Carolina Panthers through the 2020 season. However, there have been rumors that the new Panthers owner may decide to move on from Rivera following the 2019 season. If that does occur, the New York Giants should seriously consider Rivera as their next head coach.
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Rivera has been coaching the Panthers since 2011, leading the team to a 76-61-1 regular season record during that time, good for a .554 winning percentage. During his time as head coach, the Panthers have a 3-4 record in the postseason, including 2015, when Rivera led them to a Super Bowl birth. The Panthers would ultimately lose to the Denver Broncos in that game 24-10.
Dave Gettleman is very familiar with Rivera, who was his coach when he was the general manager of the Panthers from 2013-2017. As a head coach under Gettleman’s Panther’s, Rivera would win two Associated Press coach of the year awards (2013, 2015) and would lead the Panthers to the playoffs from 2013-2015.
If the Giants and Panthers decide to move on from their current coaches after the season, it isn’t a stretch to believe that Dave Gettleman will call up his former coach in Carolina as a potential candidate for the head coaching position with the Giants.