John Harbaugh and Kevin Stefanski are the clear front-runners in a New York Giants’ head coaching search that is skewing heavily toward experienced candidates. The Giants, though, have serious competition from a number of teams for both decorated coaches.
Harbaugh, seeking to decompress and probably study his options, reportedly will not take any interviews until next week. Stefanski interviewed with the Giants Tuesday night and Wednesday.
What if both candidates spurn the Giants for what they perceive
to be better opportunities? Or, if the Giants somehow decide that neither Harbaugh nor Stefanski is right for them?
Where do the Giants turn then?
The remaining list of experienced candidates thus far connected to the Giants includes Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, former Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy, former Buccaneers and Falcons coach Raheem Morris, and former Raiders coach and Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce.
Vance Joseph as a fallback option?
Among the various retread candidates the Giants could turn to if they somehow fail to land either Harbaugh or Stefanski, Joseph does not have the best record as a head coach. An argument can be made, though, that the 53-year-old Joseph might be the best fit for the Giants.
Joseph is expected to interview virtually with the Giants on Thursday. That is one of five virtual interviews he will conduct this week.
Zac Stevens, Broncos beat writer for TheDNVR.com, is not surprised by the interest in Joseph. He said players in Denver constantly talk about “how good of a leader” Joseph is.
“They don’t really talk about just how good of a defensive mind is. It’s more of a leader. And that’s why, with the seven openings that are that are out there for head coach right now, five of those teams have already requested to interview or interviewed Vance right now is because he is one of the hottest candidates out there,” Stevens said. “Not because of what he does for the defense necessarily, but because of the leader he is.”
Stevens said “there’s no doubt” that Joseph can extend the respect he has from Denver defensive players across an entire locker room and organization.
“The respect that those defensive guys have for him uh is absolutely tremendous,” Stevens said. “And I’ve been around guys where they’re very honest about a coordinator not being as good of a leader and they are all on the exact same page and I believe that can lead to an offense.”
“A leader of men”
Stevens and I discussed the lack of accountability around the Giants the past couple of seasons, and players’ desire for a “Tom Coughlin-esque” leader.
It was interesting, then, to hear Stevens talk about why then-Denver general manager John Elway hired Joseph to coach the team in 2017.
“What he was looking for was a leader of men,” Stevens said. “That’s the phrase that he used during the coaching search. And then once they hired Vance Joseph was that term, leader of men, leader of men. And he [Elway] said although Vance has not been a head coach and he’s only been a defensive coordinator for one year he has the right abilities to be the leader of men that we need.”
Joseph went just 11-21 in two seasons with the Broncos. Stevens said Elway “handcuffed” Joseph by “not really letting him lead” and by not getting him a proper quarterback. Joseph’s starting quarterbacks in Denver were Trevor Seimian, Brock Osweiler, Paxton Lynch, and Case Keenum.
“John was the one to build the coaching staff around him. So he did not give him the resources that he needed to truly be a head coach,” Stevens said. “And that’s why a lot of people believe, including myself, that Vance didn’t really get a fair shake his first time as a head coach.”
That Denver defense
Joseph’s ability as a defensive coordinator might not be the biggest reason he is attractive to so many teams, but it certainly is one of them. The Broncos were third in the NFL in points allowed in each of the last two seasons. The Broncos had a league-best 68 quarterback sacks in 2025, four short of the all-time record of 72 set by the Chicago Bears in 1984 during a 16-game season.
“You’ve seen how good his defense is, but the type of leader he is, you can see it through the scoreboard and through what the Broncos have gone through since he’s been the defensive coordinator,” Stevens said. “This was the same defense and the same defensive coordinator that gave up 70 points to the Miami Dolphins in Vance Joseph’s fourth game as their defensive coordinator back in 2023. It was the most embarrassing loss in Broncos history losing to the Dolphins, 70-20. A 50-point loss, gave up 70 points.
“And there were very much discussions of will Vance Joseph be fired four games in to his career as a defensive coordinator. Things started off incredibly shaky, but what does Vance do? He gets the defense together. He tells Sean [Payton] to let him run his defense his way. And then the Broncos during the rest of that season have the biggest point differential in terms of the start of a season to the end of a season and defensive points allowed in nearly NFL history. And then that carries into the 2024 season where the Broncos defense is very good and then it becomes elite this year. So not only his defensive prowess is on display there, but it’s his leadership because it could have been incredibly easy with a team that’s one and three to start a season. Just gave up 70 points to fall apart.”
Giants interim defensive coordinator Charlie Bullen, who did well after taking over for Shane Bowen this season, is a Joseph disciple.
What about running the offense?
Any defensive coordinator looking to move into the head coaching ranks is going to be grilled about his plan for handling the offense. With the Giants needing to make certain they properly shepherd the growth of quarterback Jaxson Dart, the right coaching staff around him is critical.
Joseph’s plan on the offensive side of the ball is his trump card when it comes to his search for a head coaching job. The plan? Bring Denver quarterbacks coach Davis Webb, perhaps the hottest non-coordinator in NFL coaching circles right now, with him.
Webb, of course, is familiar to the Giants as a 2017 third-round pick and two-time Giants backup quarterback. He is familiar to GM Joe Schoen from the Buffalo Bills and Giants. He gets credit for helping Daniel Jones in 2022, and for his work with Bo Nix in Denver.
Webb is so highly-regarded that he is already getting head coaching interviews. Landing him to run an offense with a young quarterback like Dart might be considered a coup.
“That is exactly the plan,” Stevens said. “And I have to imagine that that’s the selling point for Vance Joseph when when he goes in there because they’re going to ask him the offensive plan. And, man, if you point to Davis Webb, he is probably outside of offensive coordinators the hottest offensive mind in the NFL right now.”
Webb turns 31 later this month, but Stevens said he would not be shocked if he gets a “Sean McVay opportunity.” McVay became head coach of the Los Angeles Rams at age 31.
“If he does not get that and Vance gets a head coaching job, I fully believe that he will be Vance’s offensive coordinator,” Stevens said. “And you can’t say enough good things about Davis Webb. You mentioned it. Giants fans like him. The GM from the Giants loves him.”
What about Davis Webb as head coach?
The Giants seem to be looking for experience in their next head coach. There have been no reports they have requested an interview with Webb. But, why not consider it?
Bringing Webb to New York to be offensive coordinator has obvious appeal. It comes, though, with a danger.
“If Jaxson Dart has success the first year, then Davis is going to be poached away to be a head coach somewhere else and you only have him in the building for one year,” Stevens said. “That’s why I would not be surprised this year and if it doesn’t happen this year, next year that Davis Webb is a head coach somewhere because he gets poached.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Davis Webb gets a head coaching job and Vance Joseph doesn’t.”
