The New York Giants are already started on their search for a head coach to replace Brian Daboll, and an interesting name has popped up on top of their list.
Marcus Freeman leads a group of college coaches being considered. The Notre Dame head coach has not only been mentioned as a potential candidate, but NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo confirmed that he would be in the mix for the job.
“We’ll focus on the Giants here, Marcus Freeman mentioned as a guy that should be in their coaching search, yes, that is the case,” Garofolo said. “I expect him to be the foremost amongst the college candidates.”
That’s big news.
Freeman just finished his fourth full season leading Notre Dame. He took over after Brian Kelly departed for LSU at the end of the 2021 season. He was promoted from defensive coordinator. He has a 43-12 record, with his best season coming in 2024 when the Irish went 14-2 and lost to Ohio State in the College Football Playoff championship game.
Notre Dame was controversially left out of the CFP this season and opted to end its season rather than accept a bowl invite.
The 39-year-old Freeman has been mentioned as a potential NFL target for several years now.
Garafolo noted that New York would likely cast a wide net in its coaching search. That would include both current NFL offensive and defensive coordinators, as there is no obvious replacement available.
The Giants fired Daboll on November 10 after a 2-8 start. In four seasons as the team’s head coach, he went 20-40-1, but the last three seasons were progressively worse. Daboll led New York to the playoffs during his first season in 2022, as his squad went 9-7-1, and even won a playoff game, beating the Vikings 31-24 in the wild card round. The Giants only won 11 games over Daboll’s final three seasons.
New York is currently 2-12 and in contention for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL draft. Mike Kafka is the interim head coach and enters the week 0-3 in what has become a lost season.
The Giants’ job should be attractive, given several of the pieces in place. Jaxson Dart looks like a franchise quarterback, Malik Nabers is a legitimate No. 1 receiver, while Cam Skattebo and Abdul Carter are talented rookies who have already contributed.
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
- Broncos vs. Jaguars: Three Bold Predictions As AFC Playoff Implications Loom
- Pete Carroll’s Days With Raiders Could Be Numbered, per NFL Insider
- Ex-Chiefs Star QB Expects ‘Some Changes’ With Team After Missing Playoffs
- NFL Insider Shares What Dolphins Would Prefer to Do With Tua Tagovailoa Next Season
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Marcus Freeman Leads List of Giants Coaching Candidates .