It is a weird time to be a Giants fan. Whether you bleed Big Blue in the swamps of Jersey or you're rocking the orange and black out by the Bay, you're basically staring at a "Help Wanted" sign right now.
If you are looking for the New York Giants head coach, here is the short answer: The position is currently vacant. The team fired Brian Daboll on November 10, 2025, after a brutal slide that left the franchise in the basement of the NFC East. Mike Kafka, the offensive coordinator, stepped in as the interim guy to finish out the string, but as of mid-January 2026, General Manager Joe Schoen is deep in the trenches of a massive coaching search.
Meanwhile, across the country, the San Francisco Giants already made their move. They dumped Bob Melvin and made a hire that honestly shocked the baseball world by poaching Tony Vitello from the college ranks.
Who is the Giants head coach in New York right now?
Technically? Nobody has the permanent office yet. It’s a mess.
Joe Schoen was given the green light by owners John Mara and Steve Tisch to stay on as GM, which surprised some people given the team's record. But Schoen is the one holding the clipboard for the interviews. The team is looking for a "culture builder," which is code for "someone who won't lose 13 games a year."
The search is moving fast.
Just this week, the Giants have been linked to some heavy hitters. Mike McCarthy, the former Cowboys and Packers coach, is reportedly interviewing in East Rutherford. It's a polarizing choice, but he’s got the ring. Then you have Chris Shula, the Rams defensive coordinator, who many Vegas oddsmakers have pegged as the actual favorite.
The leading candidates for the New York job
- John Harbaugh: This is the "dream" hire for the fan base. He was let go by Baltimore, and reports suggest the Giants are "urgently" chasing him. He brings instant credibility.
- Kevin Stefanski: The former Browns coach is a name that keeps popping up. He’s won Coach of the Year twice, and with a young quarterback like Jaxson Dart in the building, an offensive mind like Stefanski makes a lot of sense.
- Lou Anarumo: The Colts defensive coordinator (and Staten Island native) is doing a virtual interview as we speak. He knows the area, and he’s been a finalist for this job before.
It’s a high-stakes game. If Schoen misses on this hire, he’s likely out of a job by this time next year. He needs someone who can develop Jaxson Dart, who actually showed some flashes of being a real NFL quarterback before the season ended in a whimper.
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San Francisco went a completely different direction
If you were asking about the baseball Giants, the answer is way more definitive. Tony Vitello is the manager of the San Francisco Giants.
This was a wild move by Buster Posey, who is now running the show as President of Baseball Operations. Most teams hire a "safe" veteran or a bench coach from a winning staff. Posey went to Knoxville and grabbed the guy who just won a National Championship with the Tennessee Volunteers.
Vitello is fiery. He gets ejected. He screams at umpires. He wears his heart on his sleeve, and honestly, that’s exactly what a stagnant San Francisco clubhouse seemed to need.
Bob Melvin was a "pro's pro," but the team finished 81-81 in 2025. It was boring. Posey clearly wanted to inject some adrenaline into the organization. Vitello has never coached a single game of professional baseball—not in the minors, not as a coach—so this is a massive experiment. But if you’ve seen him lead a college dugout, you know he’s a winner.
Why both "Giants" teams are resetting at the same time
It's a rare alignment of frustration. Both franchises have massive expectations and fan bases that are tired of being "middle of the road."
In New York, the Brian Daboll era started with so much promise. That playoff win in Minnesota feels like a decade ago now. The offense regressed, the locker room felt fractured, and the decision to move on mid-season was a signal that the status quo was no longer acceptable.
In San Francisco, the "Farhan Zaidi era" ended with a thud, and when Posey took over, he didn't wait long to clean house. Firing a respected veteran like Bob Melvin—especially after picking up his 2026 option just months earlier—showed that the new leadership isn't interested in "fine." They want "great."
What to expect next in East Rutherford
If you’re a football fan, keep your eyes on the next 72 hours. The NFL coaching carousel moves at light speed. We should see a second round of interviews by the end of the week.
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The buzz around Chris Shula isn't going away. He’s young, he’s from a legendary football family, and he’s coached one of the most disciplined defenses in the league. But don’t count out a veteran like McCarthy or Harbaugh if the Mara family decides they’ve had enough of "learning on the job" coaches.
Key dates for the New York Giants search
- January 19: This is the date when the Giants can begin holding in-person interviews with coaches currently under contract with other NFL teams.
- Late January: Expect a formal announcement. The Giants want their staff in place before the Senior Bowl and the scouting combine.
- The Draft: Whoever gets hired will have the No. 5 overall pick to play with. That’s a massive carrot for any incoming coach.
Actionable insights for fans following the search
If you want to stay ahead of the news, stop looking at the national talking heads and start following the local beat reporters. For the NFL side, watch for flight trackers out of Teterboro Airport—that’s usually where the coaching candidates land.
For the MLB side, the work is done. Vitello is already building his staff. You should be looking at how he handles the spring training roster in Scottsdale. His transition from the "rah-rah" style of college ball to the grind of a 162-game MLB season will be the biggest story in the NL West.
The New York Giants head coach vacancy is the biggest domino left to fall in the NFL offseason. Whether they go with a proven winner like Harbaugh or a fresh face like Shula, the identity of "Big Blue" is about to change completely. Stay tuned to the official team trackers, as an announcement is expected any day now.