Jerry Reese and Ben McAdoo issue statements

John Mara and Steve Tisch decided to move the New York Giants in a new direction on Monday. That morning, following the Giants’ 24-17 loss to the Oakland Raiders (and the benching of Eli Manning that preceded it), the Giants’ ownership made the unprecedented move to fire both the head coach and general manager.

By Wednesday evening, both Jerry Reese and Ben McAdoo have released their statements following their dismissal.

Jerry Reese:

I would like to thank the New York Football Giants for allowing me the opportunity to be a part of such an amazing franchise for the past twenty-three years. My time here has been filled with many great memories. Thank you John and the Mara family, Steve and the Tisch family for your confidence in me for so many seasons. I want to extend my deepest gratitude to Tom Coughlin and Ben McAdoo for their commitment to the NYG and my time working with them. I'm thankful to the late George Young, who hired me, and to Ernie Accorsi for grooming me. Many thanks to the front office, personnel staff, support staff, scouts, coaches, and current and former players for your dedication to a first class organization. My family, friends and many fans that have supported me, I sincerely appreciate all of you. I am truly grateful and blessed for my time with the NYG. All the best to you. Go Giants.

When he addressed the media, John Mara noted that firing Reese was particularly hard. And considering that he had been an employee of the Giants since 1994, having risen through the ranks from a part-time scout, it’s easy to see why.

McAdoo touched on many of the same notes in his own statement.

Ben McAdoo:

It was a privilege and an honor to serve as the head coach of the New York Giants and be a member of the organization for four years. I thank the Mara family, the Tisch family, and Jerry Reese and Tom Coughlin for taking a chance on a first time offensive coordinator and enabling me to take an important step in my career. My family and I enjoyed every day of my tenure with the Giants, thanks in large part to the commitment of everybody in the organization. I particularly want to thank the entire coaching staff for their dedication and hard work. I would be remiss if I did not thank the support staff who are often underappreciated but vital to the success of any football team. Finally, I will always appreciate having had the chance to coach so many outstanding players. As I have said many times, they are men of talent, and I believe in their integrity and character. I wish them and the entire organization success in the future.