Giants coach Brian Daboll fired midway through fourth season

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NEW YORK — The New York Giants fired coach Brian Daboll on Monday, leaving him midway through his fourth season after they fell to 2-8 following a loss to Chicago.

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Offensive coordinator Mike Kafka was named as an interim replacement. The owner's move came a day after the Giants squandered another late lead and lost to the Bears 24-20. General manager Joe Schon remains in his position, and owners John Mara and Steve Tisch said he will lead the search for the next coach.

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“We spoke this morning about the direction of our team on the field and have decided that it is in our best interest to make changes to the head coaching position at this time,” Mara and Tisch said in a statement. “The last few seasons have been nothing short of disappointing and we have not lived up to our expectations for the franchise. We understand our fans' disappointment and will work to create a much improved product.”

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The rest of Daboll's staff remained in place, including defensive coordinator Shane Bowen.

New York has lost four straight since upsetting defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia at home in prime time early last month. This included becoming the first team since 2003 to lead by 18 points with six minutes to play and lose, which the Giants did in Denver on October 19.

This is only the third midseason coaching change for the Giants in the last 95 years. This is the first time since 2017 that Ben McAdoo and general manager Jerry Reese have been fired after a 2-10 start.

Daboll went 20-40-1 in his first league coaching job. He led the Giants to the playoffs in his first season and was named Coach of the Year, but has since gone 11-33.

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His .336 winning percentage ranks 154th out of 166 coaches who have played more than 50 games since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. Daboll is the second coach to be fired this season; Tennessee fired Brian Callahan after the Titans started 1-5.

“These are difficult decisions, and John and I do not take them lightly,” Tisch said. “But we feel this is the right thing to do at this time and will allow us to move forward.”

Daboll, who previously served as Buffalo's offensive coordinator from 2018-21, has faced increasing pressure over his employment in recent weeks and has repeatedly taken credit for the Giants' woes.

“Look, you put everything you have into this,” Daboll said. “You look at things that aren't where they should be and try to fix them. Whether it's changes in the schedule, different practice periods, changes in small parts of the scheme, again, that's where we are. We are where we are.”

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Kafka takes over after another period of uncertainty in a lost season after quarterback Jackson Dart's concussion against the Bears forced Russell Wilson back into the game. Fellow rookie Cam Scattebo and No. 1 receiver Malik Nabers are already lost for the season due to injury.

The 38-year-old former assistant joins the Giants after working under Andy Reid in various roles since 2017. He has four games and 16 passes under his belt since his 2011 stint with Philadelphia after being Northwestern's starting QB.

Sean, who is in his fourth season as general manager after also being hired from the Bills, received a vote of confidence from Mara and Tisch. The selection of edge rusher Abdul Carter with the third pick, the first-round trade for Dart, and the selection of Skattebo likely played a significant role in Sean staying with the team longer than Daboll.

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“We feel Joe has assembled a good young core of talent and we look forward to his development,” Mara said. “Unfortunately, the results over the last three years have not been what any of us would have liked. We take full responsibility for these results and look forward to the success our fans have come to expect.”

Daboll, 50, has plenty of experience as an offensive assistant and will almost certainly find a landing spot somewhere in the NFL next season. He won't return to Buffalo immediately, as Bills coach Sean McDermott backed offensive coordinator Joe Brady on Monday after his team's loss to Miami.

“Brian is a great coach,” McDermott said. “It's unfortunate to see this happen to him at this point. It's beyond any consideration.”

— AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi in Tampa, Fla., and AP Sports Writer John Wowrow in Orchard Park, New York, contributed.

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