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Eli Manning and the New York Giants are coming off a very poor season and now Ben McAdoo will be the person in charge of turning things around. The Giants announced that they have hired the former Green Bay assistant coach as its new offensive coordinator on Tuesday:
The Giants have hired Ben McAdoo as their new offensive coordinator. More shortly
— New York Giants (@Giants) January 14, 2014
McAdoo will replace Kevin Gilbride, who retired following seven seasons as New York's offensive coordinator. The Giants may have made a change even if Gilbride didn't retire, as New York was dismal on offense last season. The Giants ranked 28th in the NFL in total yards, points and yards per play. They also finished last in the NFL with 44 turnovers, including a NFL-high 29 interceptions.
Landing the 36-year-old McAdoo appears to be quite a coup for the Giants. He interviewed for the Cleveland Browns head coaching vacancy as well as the offensive coordinator position with the Miami Dolphins. The Baltimore Ravens also asked for permission to interview McAdoo for their offensive coordinator opening, according to Ian Rapoport. Some expected McAdoo to head to Miami, where he would be reunited with Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin. The two worked together in Green Bay when Philbin was the Packers' offensive coordinator.
McAdoo has risen quickly in the coaching profession, going from a special teams coach at Michigan State to an NFL offensive coordinator in less than 15 years. He spent a year in New Orleans and a year in San Francisco as a quality control coach before landing with the Packers. McAdoo started as the tight end coach with Green Bay, moving up to the quarterback coach in 2012. He worked with Aaron Rodgers and the Packers' quarterbacks for two seasons, earning praise from the former NFL MVP.
The experience coaching quarterbacks could have been a key for McAdoo's candidacy in New York, as Ed Valentine of Big Blue View wrote:
The Giants have to fix Manning, thus they have to trust that whoever they hire can put Humpty Dumpty back together again. That is likely why each candidate has experience coaching quarterbacks.
My guess? Sullivan would still have to be considered the betting favorite, although if he was a lock the Giants would have just given him the job already. Watch out for McAdoo. He comes with the huge endorsement of Rodgers and a reputation as a rising star in the coaching ranks. If he wows the Giants when he interviews on Saturday he could end up with the job.