The New York Giants ended their 2023 campaign on a high note, dominating the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium. However, the victory was not enough for some of the members of their coaching staff to save their jobs as head coach Brian Daboll announced some major changes on Monday morning.
Special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey was one of the coaches fired this morning. Despite having one season remaining on his contract, the decision was made to let him go after overseeing a unit that struggled mightily the last two seasons.
McGaughey has been a member of the Giants organization for a good amount of time, as he survived three different coaching changes to remain on the staff in his role. He was also the assistant special teams coach under Tom Coughlin.
NFL News & Rumors: Brian Daboll, Thomas McGaughey, Bobby Johnson, New York Giants Updates
In addition to McGaughey, the Giants have announced that they are moving on from offensive line coach Bobby Johnson. This is a move fans have been clamoring to see for a while as Johnson has overseen one of the least productive units in the NFL.
This season, the Giants surrendered the second-most sacks in NFL history, giving up 85. The development, or lack thereof, of the young talent in the trenches has also been concerning. Evan Neal and John Michael Schmitz, first and second-round picks in the 2022 and 2023 NFL Drafts, were both the highest-rated players at their positions coming into the league but have struggled mightily under Johnson’s watch.
In addition to the announcements of those coaches being fired, Ralph Vacchiano provided an update on two other coaches who have been involved in rumors recently; defensive coordinator Wink Martindale and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka. Both players are expected to return, per Daboll.
NFL News & Rumors: Brian Daboll, Thomas McGaughey, Bobby Johnson, New York Giants Updates
Daboll released a statement, via the Giants’ account on X, about the changes. He said he wanted to make a change but was appreciative of everything each of them brought to the organization during their time with Big Blue.
“I want to thank Bobby Johnson and Thomas McGaughey. I respect both of those guys and their commitment to the team. But we wanted to make a change.”
It will be interesting to see who is brought in to replace McGaughey and Johnson. Heading into Year 3 as head coach, Daboll could start to feel his seat warm up with what has been an impatient ownership group with the last few head coaches the Giants have employed. Getting better production from their special teams and the offensive line would go a long way to the Giants finding more success on the field in the 2024 season.
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