The New York Giants are staring at another offseason defined by major decisions, and their head-coach search is already widening beyond the usual NFL names.
One unexpected candidate now gaining traction is Marcus Freeman, and the timing isn’t a coincidence. Notre Dame feels robbed after being left out of the College Football Playoff, and its decision to opt out of a bowl game was a pointed statement about the process.
With frustration mounting in South Bend and no postseason to reset the narrative, Freeman’s future suddenly looks less secure, placing him firmly in the Giants’ next head coach odds conversation.
New York Giants next head coach odds
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Analyzing the Giants’ next head coach favorites
Marcus Freeman
Marcus Freeman checks several boxes for the Giants: he’s a defensive-minded leader with a modern approach to player development, he commands a locker room, and he’s proven he can recruit and motivate at an elite level.
New York has lacked both identity and accountability during its recent slide, and Freeman’s cultural reset, built on toughness, detail, and buy-in, would instantly resonate with a young roster that needs direction.
But the bigger story is why Freeman may actually be available. After Notre Dame was snubbed from the College Football Playoff, the program followed up by opting out of a bowl game altogether — a move that underscored deep frustration with the current system.
Couple that with an increasingly challenging landscape at the collegiate level (NIL demands, portal churn, and rising expectations), and the NFL offers Freeman something college football no longer does: stability, control, and a chance to prove himself on the biggest stage.
🏈 Mike McCarthy
If the New York Giants want to go the route of experience, Mike McCarthy fits the bill.
The Giants know him well from his time with the Dallas Cowboys, and while he might not be a “sexy” hire, he’s one who would bring stability.
Inheriting a young roster, McCarthy would have the time to retool the right way and build a culture that could bring the Giants back to respectability.
But this is New York, and as history shows, the conventional hire doesn’t always pan out.
Chris Shula
Chris Shula has quickly emerged as one of the NFL’s most promising young defensive minds, and his work modernizing the Rams’ scheme makes him an appealing fit for a Giants team craving identity.
He’s earned league-wide respect for his ability to develop talent and bring a disciplined, adaptable approach that resonates with players.
With New York seeking a leadership reset and the Rams’ staff potentially facing offseason turnover, this could be the moment Shula considers a jump. That makes him a very real contender in the Giants’ next head coach odds.
Recent Giants coaching history
It’s been a rough ride for the Giants since the Tom Coughlin days. Ever since he stepped down after the 2015 season, New York’s been searching for the right voice to get this franchise back on track.
Ben McAdoo was the first to take a swing, and things actually started well — 11 wins and a playoff berth in Year 1. But by the next season, the wheels completely fell off, and he was gone before the year even ended.
Then came Pat Shurmur in 2018, and his two-year run wasn’t much better. Nine wins total, and another coaching change followed. Joe Judge got his shot next, and while there were flashes of toughness, the offense never really clicked. He lasted only two seasons, too.
Brian Daboll looked like he might finally be the guy after that surprise playoff run in 2022, even winning Coach of the Year. But things spiraled fast. A messy 2024 and this year’s 2-8 start brought things right back to Square 1.
Now the Giants are hitting reset — again — hoping this next hire can finally stop the carousel and bring some long-term stability to New York.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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