The Giants are considering an in-house candidate for the HC vacancy. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the team is expected to interview defensive coordinator Patrick Graham for the position.
This is the first time this offseason that Graham has been connected to a head coach gig. Last offseason, he was connected to the Jets HC job.
Graham broke into coaching as a graduate assistant with Wagner College back in 2002. He slowly worked his way up the collegiate ranks and landed his first NFL gig with the Patriots in 2009. He served as Brian Flores‘ DC with with the Dolphins in 2019 before joining Joe Judge‘s first coaching staff with the Giants.
His work with the Giants is what has created the HC buzz. Despite not having a ton of individual talent to work with, Graham coaxed a top-10 performance out of his unit in 2020 in terms of points allowed, and though the New York defense struggled through much of the first half of 2021, the club had a few standout performances (including a three-game stretch where they yielded just 39 points despite facing the likes of Derek Carr and Patrick Mahomes). Graham’s reputation as a play-caller, along with his ability to forge strong relationships with his players, has attracted league-wide attention.
Graham is now the fifth name connected to the NYG vacancy, a list that also includes:
- Brian Daboll, offensive coordinator (Bills): Interviewed 1/21
- Brian Flores, former head coach (Dolphins): Mentioned as candidate
- Leslie Frazier, defensive coordinator (Bills): To interview 1/22
- Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator (Cowboys): Interview requested
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