The offensive coordinator Mike Kafka is a strong candidate to take over as head coach of the Seattle Seahawks,
meaning the New York Giants could lose another coordinator this offseason. On Wednesday, Kafka will have his
second interview with the Seahawks, which increases the likelihood that he will leave.
After Wink Martindale and Thomas
McGaughey left the Giants early in the
summer, they are already looking for a
new defensive coordinator and special
teams coach. Head coach Brian Daboll
would have his work cut out if he were
to go looking for a new offensive
coordinator, but this could be the
simplest of the three.
The Giants have a clear choice for their prospective future offensive coordinator. Shea Tierney, the quarterbacks coach, would be the front-runner for the
position. In the event that Kafka does go, his promotion to offensive coordinator seems plausible.
Since 2022, Tierney has been a member of the Giants coaching staff, serving as an assistant to both Daboll and
Kafka. QB Daniel Jones had the best season of his career in 2022, his first year under Tierney’s tutelage, setting a
record for the Giants’ single-season completion percentage with 67.2%.
During their time together with the Buffalo Bills in 2018, Tierney began working with Daboll. From 2018 to 2021,
Daboll oversaw Buffalo’s offensive line. Prior to being elevated to assistant quarterbacks coach for the 2020 and 2021
campaigns, Tierney served as an offensive assistant on the Bills’ staff in 2018 and 2019. Then, in 2022, he moved to
New York to work as the quarterbacks coach for the Giants, following Daboll.
Given his past experience working under Daboll, Tierney appears to be the most logical candidate to succeed him as
Daboll’s offensive coordinator. Coaches in Buffalo and New Jersey have heaped praise upon this brilliant young
mind, and he appears ready to move up into a more significant role.
In the midst of Kafka’s problems throughout the season, Daboll delegated play-calling duties to the quarterback’s
coach, giving Tierney additional experience in that role during the 2023 campaign. At the 2024 Reesee’s Senior
Bowl, Tierney is also gaining some experience in the role of offensive coordinator. Tierney would have yet another
chance to hone his craft and get ready to someday take over as an NFL coordinator.
There are a few additional candidates that Daboll may want to take into consideration if Tierney is not chosen as his
next offensive coordinator. Specifically, Ken Dorsey, the former offensive coordinator and coach of the Bills
quarterbacks.
Despite being dismissed by the Bills in the middle of the 2023 season, Dorsey’s relationship with Daboll should make
him a strong candidate for the Giants. The previous offseason, New York considered hiring him but finally chose to
go with Kafka. Now that Kafka might be leaving, Dorsey might be a candidate for the position once more.
Pep Hamilton, the 2022 offensive coordinator for the Houston Texans, was another finalist for the 2023 offensive
coordinator position with the Giants. Hamilton was unemployed this season, but in the off-season, he might be a
compelling addition to an offensive team.
Should Kafka get promoted elsewhere, Daboll will
need to compile a list of possible successors.
Rebuilding the Giants’ offense after a historically poor
offensive showing in 2023 will be the team’s top
objective this offseason. The answer to their issues
might lie in adding a new coach to the team.
