After back-to-back losing seasons and a six-win drought to close out the 2021 campaign, the New York Giants are once again in the market for a head coach. Following some extra deliberation and, per Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News, a nudge from co-owner Steve Tisch, John Mara eventually decided to sever ties with Joe Judge on January 11, less than 24 hours after he initially survived the ever-so dreaded “Black Monday.”
Before the team finds someone to fill their head coaching vacancy, they’ll first need to decide on a general manager. That person will then, according to Mara, be given the reins to then hand pick Judge’s successor.
The search for a new GM is already underway in East Rutherford, as the team has completed five interviews at the time of this writing. Chances are each of those candidates already has a head coaching option or two in the back of their minds should they land the gig. Well, they may want to potentially reassess their shortlist of options — that is, if their list didn’t already include former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores.
Flores ‘Would Prioritize the G-Men Job’
According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Flores, who is arguably the most sought-after, high-profile candidate on the coaching market, could be keen on landing the Giants gig.
“Don’t sleep on the prospect of Brian Flores to the #Giants. I’m told owner John Mara ‘respects and likes Flores’ — a Brooklyn native — and that Flores would prioritize the G-Men job ‘at or near the top of his list,’ per a source close to the situation,” Schultz tweeted on January 13.
Should Flores pique New York’s interest, they may want to expedite the hiring process a bit. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport has reported that Flores is set to interview for the head coach vacancy in Chicago on January 14. Should the Bears opt against hiring the Bill Belichick disciple, chances are a laundry list of other suitors will be knocking down Flores’ door for a chance to court him. In fact, Flores is so highly-thought of throughout the league that Chris Simms and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk have floated the possibility that a team could even go to the extent of firing their current coach in order to land Flores.
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Flores Elevated Miami in His 3 Years at the Helm
By far the biggest surprise firing of the young offseason, the Dolphins decided to send Flores packing after just three seasons in South Beach and a collective record of 24-25 — that’s two more victories than the Giants franchise has amassed over the last five seasons.
Flores has proven capable of turning around a floundering franchise, which should be music to the ears of Giants brass. As Giants faithful know all too well, Big Blue has claimed just one winning season in the last nine years and one lone postseason appearance over the past decade.
The 40-year-old Flores led the Dolphins to a 9-8 record in 2021, marking the first time since 2002-2003 that the team has finished above .500 in consecutive seasons. According to ESPN’s Jeff Darlington, Flores’ exit from Miami had little to do with on-field production and much more with a deteriorating relationship between him and general manager Chris Grier as well as quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
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Giants Job Emerges as Top Priority for Prime Head Coach Candidate: Report