New York Giants Targeting Former Head Coaches To Be Next Offensive Coordinator
If you thought the New York Giants were going to take a nap after landing John Harbaugh as their new head coach, you clearly haven’t been paying attention to the vibe in East Rutherford lately. The ink is barely dry on Harbaugh’s five-year contract, and the front office is already deep in the trenches, looking for the right lieutenant to run the offense.
For a fanbase that has endured some truly uninspired play-calling in recent years, the names surfacing on the rumor mill are enough to make you sit up a little straighter. We aren’t talking about safe, boring retreads here. According to reports from ESPN and NBC Sports, the Giants are swinging for the fences, targeting former Titans Head Coach Brian Callahan and the ever-enigmatic offensive guru Kliff Kingsbury for the vacant offensive coordinator role.
The Kingsbury Wildcard
Let’s start with the name that brings the most intrigue: Kingsbury. If you love offense, you know the name. He’s the guy who seemingly falls upward, but there is a reason teams keep calling him. After a stint as the offensive coordinator for the Commanders over the last two seasons (2024-2025), Kingsbury is back on the market, and he fits a very specific need for New York.
The Giants have a young, dynamic quarterback in Jaxson Dart, who had a rookie season that turned plenty of heads. Kingsbury’s reputation is built on maximizing mobile quarterbacks—look at what he did with Kyler Murray in Arizona and Jayden Daniels in Washington. He understands how to space the field and let athletes be athletes. Bringing his “Air Raid” concepts to MetLife Stadium would be a drastic, and frankly exciting, shift in philosophy.
Brian Callahan’s Shot At Redemption
On the other side of the coin, you have Callahan. It’s been a rough few months for the 41-year-old. After finally getting his shot at the big chair with the Tennessee Titans, things went south. He was fired in his second year after a brutal 1-5 start.
But let’s not let recency bias cloud the resume. Before the Nashville nightmare, Callahan was the architect behind the Cincinnati Bengals’ explosive offense from 2019 to 2023. He was instrumental in Joe Burrow’s development and that thrilling Super Bowl run in 2021.
In the NFL, failed head coaches often make for incredible coordinators because they can go back to focusing on what they love: drawing up plays without the headache of managing the entire roster. Callahan has NFL pedigree in his blood (his dad is legendary coach Bill Callahan), and coming to New York to work under a stable force like Harbaugh might be the perfect rehabilitation for his career.
The One That Got Away
Of course, we have to address the elephant in the room. The dream scenario for many Giants fans was a reunion between Harbaugh and his old Ravens running mate, Todd Monken. For a minute there, it looked like a done deal. Reports suggested the two sides were working on a contract, and the excitement was palpable. Then, the Cleveland Browns came calling.
Monken opted to take the head coaching job in Cleveland, leaving the Giants at the altar. Monken is a proven commodity. But losing out on him might have forced New York to look at more creative, aggressive options like Kingsbury and Callahan. Sometimes, the deal you don’t make turns out to be a blessing in disguise.
What Happens Next?
Harbaugh isn’t just building a staff; he’s building a culture. He knows that in the modern NFL, you can have a terrifying defense and a great locker room, but if you can’t put points on the board, you’re going home in January.
There is also a dark horse in the race: Davis Webb. The Broncos’ quarterbacks coach was reportedly on the Giants’ radar, though he is now getting heavy interest from Denver for its own OC opening.
For now, all eyes are on Harbaugh. Will he go with the proven schematic genius of Callahan, looking to rebuild his reputation? Or will he roll the dice on Kingsbury’s high-flying aerial attack? Either way, the Giants are signaling to the rest of the league that the days of conservative, play-it-safe football in New York are officially over.
