New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll was fired by the team on Monday after just over three seasons. / Amber Searls-Imagn Images
The New York Giants have tried to avoid changing head coaches during the season at every turn, doing so only 4 times in their history.
But Brian Daboll learned Monday that he would not be offered the chance to continue after the team underachieved during its emotionally draining 2-8 start, the team naming assistant head coach/offensive coordinator MikeMike Kafka as interim head coach.
Kafka, a former star quarterback at Northwestern, spent six years in the NFL and was an assistant to Andy Reid in Kansas City for five seasons, where he won Super Bowl LIV, before joining the staff in New York.
Kafka has gone through several head coaching interviews over the years, taking visits with Carolina, Tennessee, Seattle, Houston, Indianapolis, New Orleans, and Chicago. In addition, he was the National team’s head coach in the 2025 Senior Bowl.
Giants ownership announced the move in a statement, explaining General Joe Schoen had acquired a “good young nucleus of talent” and would lead the search for the next head coach.
“The past few seasons have been nothing short of disappointing, and we have not met our expectations for this franchise,” co-owner John Mara said in the statement.
“We understand the frustrations of our fans, and we will work to deliver a significantly improved product. We appreciate Coach Daboll’s contributions to our organization. We wish the Daboll family all the best in the future.”
The Giants had just come off another dramatic fourth-quarter collapse, their second in four weeks, in a 24-20 loss in Chicago that left them with a four-game losing streak.
They also had given up a fourth-quarter rally at Dallas before falling in overtime in Week 2, and gave away another lead in defeat (thanks to five turnovers) at New Orleans in Week 5.
Daboll had made a surprising switch at quarterback from veteran Russell Wilson to first-round pick Jaxson Dart after an 0-3 start, and the team responded with an impressive home upset over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Then, they gave away a game to the Saints before returning home and beating Philadelphia in an impressive upset.
It appeared the Giants were on their way to another road upset when they took a 19-0 lead over Denver into the third quarter. But a historic collapse left them with a 33-32 defeat on a last-second field goal that sent them into their current tailspin.
Daboll was named the NFL Coach of the Year after leading the 2022 Giants to a 9-7-1 mark and a first-round playoff upset in Minnesota. But he was never able to recapture the magic from his rookie season as a head coach, finishing with a 20-40-1 record.
Big Blue Breakdown podcast host Paul Dottino will discuss all this and more with fans during a special live-stream edition, the video of which you can find above. Fans will also be able to speak with Paul via video or audio chat by clicking on this link to enter the online studio’s waiting room.
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