The New York Giants will be embarking on a wide-ranging head coach search this offseason. Interim coach Mike Kafka will have a chance to prove himself as the long-term guy in New York. However, it’s unlikely he ends up with the gig. Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer revealed a list of potential names this past Sunday on Fox’s kickoff show. It included former head coaches and up-and-coming coordinators. Glazer named Mike McCarthy, Matt Nagy, Steve Spagnuolo, Lou Anarumo, and Arthur Smith as candidates for Big Blue’s head coach opening. Yet, one name stuck out more than most. Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula, the grandson of legendary Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula, has received ringing endorsements from around the league. Chris Shula Has Sean McVay’s Stamp of Approval Glazer went on to gush about Shula. He said Sean McVay has nothing but great things to say about his rising star at defensive coordinator. “I’ll tell you this, of all the coaches that Sean McVay has kind of pushed along to be new head coaches, he’s done more with Chris Shula than all of them combined,” said Glazer. “These two guys are best friends, they went to college together. he thinks he’s going to be a star.” Shula currently has the Los Angeles Rams’ defense playing like one of the top units in the league. As of Week 12, the Rams’ defense ranks second in the league in terms of EPA/play. They are just one spot back from the league-leading Houston Texans. Keep in mind that this defense is not loaded with players on large contracts and first-round picks. They have two first-round picks in Jared Verse and Emmanuel Forbes. The latter of whom was considered a bust and cut by the Washington Commanders. The rest of the defense is the second-least expensive defense in football, and features four undrafted free agents as starters. In 2025, they’re giving up the second-fewest amount of points and have forced the fourth-most turnovers. Almost all of this can be attributed to Shula. For the New York Giants, who are a bottom-four defensive team in all of football, Shula could come in and turn the ship around fast. Giants Should Put Chris Shula at the Top of Their List According to SNY’s Connor Hughes, the New York Giants are looking for a specific type of candidate to be their next head coach. “The Giants now want a CEO-type coach someone with command of all three phases of the game,” wrote Hughes. “They want a leader who can capture the locker room and master the details to tilt close games in their favor. New York is 3-12 in one-score games since 2023, including four blown 10-point leads this season.” While Shula has only really worked on the defensive side of the ball in his NFL career, he has learned closely from McVay and understands all sides of football. McVay’s credentials as a head coach are almost unquestionable, and his coaching tree is arguably just as good. Matt LaFleur, Kevin O’Connell, and Liam Coen are just a few names that have experienced success after learning under McVay. If the Giants want to ensure future success and turn their fortunes around, Shula is as good a candidate as any to right the past wrongs in New York.
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Up-and-Coming Coordinator Tabbed as Potential Giants HC Candidate
