I guess it’s true what they say, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”
After being tossed aside by the New York Giants after a dreadful 26-game run as the team’s offensive coordinator, Jason Garrett appears to have somehow leveraged his spotty resume into head coaching consideration. The Raleigh News & Observer has reported that Garrett is garnering attention from Duke University, who is looking to replace former head coach David Cutcliffe:
While (Clemson’s Tony Elliott and Texas A&M’s Mike Elko) remain in Duke’s sights, former Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett remains on the school’s radar as well. Though he’s never coached college football, Garrett played quarterback at Princeton before embarking on an NFL playing and coaching career.
During the 11 weeks Garrett served as the Giants’ offensive coordinator in 2021, New York was just one of nine teams league-wide to average fewer than 20 points per game offensively. Over the entirety of Garrett’s reign as the team’s OC, the offense averaged a mere 18.2 points per game and never once topped 30 points in a game. As far as his head coaching chops go, Garrett spent a near-decade at the helm of the Dallas Cowboys (including on an interim basis) prior to arriving in East Rutherford, compiling a record of 85-67. Over that span, the Cowboys appeared in the playoffs three times, winning two postseason games.
Cutcliffe’s Ties to the Giants & Manning Family Runs Deep
It was announced On November 28 that Cutcliffe and Duke had agreed to mutually part ways after a disappointing 3-9 campaign in 2021. The Blue Devils went winless in ACC play and finished the year with eight consecutive losses. While Cutcliffe did close out his Duke tenure with three straight losing seasons, the majority of his time with the program was far more successful. In 14 seasons as head coach, Cutcliffe led the Blue Devils to six bowl appearances — just two less than the program’s all-time total prior to his arrival. He finished with a record of 77-97, earning back-to-back ACC Coach of the Year honors in 2012 and 2013.
Cutcliffe is, of course, widely known for his work with the Manning family and current Giants starting quarterback and Duke alumn, Daniel Jones. The 67-year-old Alabama native served as Eli Manning’s head coach while the two-time Super Bowl champ starred at Ole Miss. He also coached Peyton Manning at Tennessee, serving as the Hall of Famer’s position coach and offensive coordinator.
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Freddie Kitchens Taking Cues from Giants Players
While head coach Joe Judge chose to keep quiet on who would take over for Garrett as the team’s offensive coordinator/play-caller, no one was shocked to see Freddie Kitchens manning said roles in Week 12. The unit continues to struggle under the former Cleveland Browns head coach — averaging just 11 points over their last two games. However, Kitchens is hopeful that input from the players will help kickstart things on the offensive side of the football:
Well, I think as coaches we always try to do that. You need to get a sense and feel for what they’re comfortable with. To me, why would you call something, and this is the way our staff believes, why would you call something if a player’s not comfortable running it? It’s your job to get them comfortable running it. If you think it’s a good scheme or a good play or whatever the case may be, it’s your job to get them comfortable doing it. But if you can’t get them to that point, it’s kind of diminishing returns.
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Failed Giants Coach Emerges as Head Coaching Candidate: Report