Top five candidates for the Giants' head coaching job

Brian Daboll’s time as the Giants' head coach has come to an end.

A tenure that started with a call to go for 2 and win the game down 20-19 with a minute left in the season opener ends with the image of the Giants losing a game off the decision to kick a field goal with the ball on the half-yard line.

There is a lot to be excited about for the Giants, and despite the asinine decision to let Joe Schoen keep his job, it will be one of the most coveted positions for a head coach due to the success of Jaxson Dart.

These are the top five candidates to bring the Giants back to greatness.

5. Kliff Kingsbury

Despite a difficult tenure as the Cardinals' head coach, Kingsbury could be returning to the head coaching carousel in 2026.

He led Jayden Daniels to an incredible rookie season last year, but chose to stay in Washington.

This would be a risky hire, as they would be betting on him making significant improvements.

4. Jesse Minter

Minter is the mastermind behind a Chargers defense that was the best at preventing points in the NFL last season.

I am not entirely sure about bringing in a non-offensive-minded coach, as we saw what happened when they tried to do that with Daniel Jones, but if they are going to, then Minter should be at the top of the list.

He was the defensive coordinator at Michigan before following Jim Harbaugh to the NFL, and his units have continued to be successful at the next level.

The Giants have put two top 5 picks, 250 million, and likely another 100 million for Kayvon Thibodeaux into their defensive line, but the results have not been there under Shane Bowen.

Hiring Minter could allow that talented front four to finally play up to the level they are capable of and be a dominant force.

3. Lane Kiffin

This would be a wild-card, but if anyone can draw Kiffin away from the Ole Miss job, it would be Jaxson Dart.

Kiffin was, of course, his coach last season, and they were incredibly successful together.

The difficult part of that would be to lure Kiffin away from a great SEC job, but if you win in New York it’s the best job in the world.

His system was so effective at Ole Miss that it had people questioning whether it was too easy for him to succeed in the NFL, so that is a good sign.

2. Mike Tomlin

There have been rumors about the Steelers and Tomlin parting ways for a few years, and if it happens, then the Giants should be ready to pounce.

All Tomlin does is win, and those serial winners are something the Giants have been missing for years.

In his nearly two decades in Pittsburgh, he has never once had a losing record.

While he might not leave the Steelers, he would certainly instill a culture the Giants have been needing.

It is unlikely, but if he is available, the Giants need to be all over him.

1: Klint Kubiak

If the Giants want to roll the dice and try to find the next Sean McVay or Kyle Shanahan, Klint Kubiak is their guy.

He has had a plethora of different jobs across the league, one of them being the passing game coordinator under Shanahan in 2023.

He comes from a coaching family, as his father, Gary, was an NFL head coach.

He took over as the Seattle offensive coordinator this year, and he has transformed that offense.

An ugly passing offense last season has transformed into an elite one, and Sam Darnold is playing like one of the best quarterbacks in the league.

Hiring a coach without head coaching experience is a risk, but if you ask the Rams and 49ers how it went, they will tell you that you have to take those risks to get the best coaches.

Edison Pellumbi is a first-year student studying broadcast journalism. To contact him, email him at ejp5889@psu.edu.