Odds to Be Giants Next Head Coach After Shurmur Fired: Matt Rhule Heavily Favored
By Robert Duff in NFL Football
Updated: March 31, 2020 at 4:25 pm EDTPublished:
- Oddsmakers are listing Baylor coach Matt Rhule as the +175 favorite to be the next head coach of the New York Giants
- Rhule led the Bears to an 11-1 season and a berth in the Big 12 Conference championship game
- He served as an assistant offensive line coach with the Giants in 2012
Will Matt Rhule be the next to rule over the fortunes of the New York Giants? That appears to be what the consensus is thinking.
Oddsmakers have established Baylor Bears coach Rhule as the +175 favorite to be named as the man to replace Pat Shurmur, who was fired on Monday after two seasons at the helm of New York’s NFC club.
Odds to Coach the New York Giants in Week 1, 2020
| Coach | Odds |
|---|---|
| Matt Rhule | +175 |
| Josh McDaniels | +500 |
| Dan Campbell | +700 |
| Robert Saleh | +700 |
| Kevin Stefanski | +750 |
| Don Martindale | +900 |
| Urban Meyer | +1000 |
| Mike McCarthy | +1200 |
| Greg Roman | +1200 |
| Brian Daboll | +1400 |
| Jay Gruden | +1400 |
| Jim Harbaugh | +1600 |
| Jason Garrett | +2000 |
| Lincoln Riley | +2000 |
Odds taken Dec. 30
Rhule led the Bears to an 11-1 record this season and a berth in the Big 12 Conference championship game. Baylor lost 30-23 in overtime to the #4 Oklahoma Sooners.
Giants Know Rhule
Rhule left his job as offensive coordinator with the Temple Owls following the 2011 NCAA season to become an offensive line assistant with the Giants. That was his first and so far only NFL job.
He’s well known to Giant general manager Dave Gettleman. The fact that Gettleman survived Monday’s purge of Shurmur could make it more difficult to convince a seasoned NFL coach to take the New York job. That fact could be another reason why the Giants would go against the apparent offseason trend that’s leaning back toward hiring coaches with previous NFL head-coaching experience.
Most coaches with NFL head-coaching chops on their resume will want input in personnel decisions.
#Giants is a job Matt Rhule has had his eye on for multiple years, I'm told. And reportedly they like him just as much.
— Ryan Dunleavy (@rydunleavy) December 30, 2019
Rhule wouldn’t be able to wield that level of demand. And the team is reportedly willing to give Rhule 100-percent say in the selection of his coaching staff. When the New York Jets declined to give Rhule that concession last year, he pulled himself from consideration for that head-coaching position.
The native New Yorker was well thought of by the organization during his season with the Giants. Rhule’s familiarity to the team and with Gettleman could be a key factor in swinging the process in his favor.
Other Candidates to Consider
New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels interviewed for the Giants job two years ago when Shurmur was hired. He’ll be a contender again, as he will be for almost any available NFL head-coaching role. ESPN is already reporting that the Giants have requested an interview with McDaniels.
Jason Garrett’s status as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys remains up in the air. He’s a former Giants backup quarterback who holds plenty of respect with people in the organization.
The Giants have gotten feedback in recent weeks that some coaches would be hesitant to go there without structural changes. Lots of people have been in their jobs for decades there. Some think the franchise needs a reset.
We'll see what happens.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) December 30, 2019
Mike McCarthy, who groomed Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay, would be a good fit with second-year Giants QB Daniel Jones. However, there’s strong speculation that McCarthy is headed to the Carolina Panthers.
New Orleans Saints assistant head coach Don Campell was a Giants tight end. A name not in the betting line to watch is Eric Bienemy. The Giants reportedly requested an interview with the Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator.
Why Matt Could Rule
After losing 36 games over the past three seasons, the Giants are looking for someone to resurrect their once-proud franchise. Rhule has a history of bringing teams to the top from the bottom. He did that with Temple, turning the Owls into a top-25 squad.
Baylor was 1-11 in his first season. Two years later, the Bears are #7 in the nation and facing #5 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day. It’s the first time the school has played in the Sugar Bowl in 62 years.
Baylor’s Matt Rhule is prominent in Giants coach search, per sources. He served as assistant under Tom Coughlin in 2012.
Jets job was Rhule’s to turn down last season. He said no to Jets.— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) December 30, 2019
Rhule has been both an offensive and defensive coach during his career. He’s known as a tough but fair coach who can get talented players to work hard, someone viewed as a leader of men.
He’s spoken with his players about investigating NFL opportunities and will reportedly meet with Giants officials tomorrow in New Orleans.
It would appear that if he wants it, the Giants job is his for the taking.
Pick: Matt Rhule (+175)
Sports Writer
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
