The New York Giants dismissed head coach Brian Daboll on Monday following a 2-8 start to the 2025 season, marked by a fourth straight loss to the Chicago Bears where they squandered a 10-point third-quarter lead. Offensive coordinator Mike Kafka will serve as interim head coach, while general manager Joe Schoen remains in place to lead the search for a replacement. The move ends Daboll's four-year tenure, which included a playoff appearance in his debut season but declined sharply thereafter.
Brian Daboll's dismissal came after the Giants blew a 10-point lead in the third quarter of their Week 10 defeat to the Bears. Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, the team's first-round pick, exited the game with a concussion after fumbling on a rush, marking his fourth concussion evaluation this season including preseason. Russell Wilson replaced Dart but could not preserve the lead.
Daboll finishes with a 20-40-1 regular-season record over four seasons. Hired in 2022 after serving as the Buffalo Bills' offensive coordinator, he earned NFL Coach of the Year honors in his first year, leading the Giants to a surprise playoff berth and a wild-card upset over the Minnesota Vikings. That success rejuvenated quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley, but results worsened, with a 6-11 record in 2023 and a 3-14 mark in 2024, including Jones' release late in the season.
Entering 2025, both Daboll and Schoen received support from owner John Mara despite the struggles. The Giants drafted Dart in the first round, starting him in place of veteran Russell Wilson, and notched a Week 6 upset over the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. However, injuries hampered progress, including to wide receiver Malik Nabers and rookie running back Cam Skattebo.
In a joint statement, president John Mara and chairman Steve Tisch said: "We spoke this morning about the direction of our franchise on the field, and we have decided that, at this time, it is in our best interest to make a change at the head coaching position." Mara added: "We feel like Joe has assembled a good young nucleus of talent, and we look forward to its development."
Schoen, hired in January 2022, will oversee the coaching search. His recent drafts have yielded talents like Dart, defensive end Abdul Carter, and Nabers, providing building blocks alongside pass rushers Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. Potential candidates include Bill Belichick, Steve Spagnuolo, and Lane Kiffin, who coached Dart at Ole Miss.
Daboll is the fourth Giants head coach fired in eight years, following Ben McAdoo, Pat Shurmur, and Joe Judge since Tom Coughlin's exit after 2015. The franchise has not reached the NFC Championship since 2011.
