Even if Giants ownership decides to keep head coach Brian Daboll, it is highly unlikely that Daboll, along with his entire coaching staff, will return to lead the Giants in 2025. The changes were scheduled to go into effect once the 3-14 season ended.
The first move was confirmed by the Post on Wednesday, when Daboll fired defensive backs coach and defensive game coordinator Jerome Henderson and safeties coach Michael Treyer.
Both Henderson and Treyer were holdover players from the previous defensive coordinator, and when Shane Bowen was brought in last year after Wink Martindale's meltdown, Bowen retained most of Martindale's staff. Now, Bowen's staff will undergo a makeover.
Henderson interviewed for the defensive coordinator position a year ago and was assigned to Bowen before being promoted to the passing game coordinator role. He was considered a popular and productive assistant, but his numbers fell short of 2023 first-round pick cornerback Deonte Banks last season. Banks suffered from a lack of effort, which Henderson pointed out, something Daboll never did.
Henderson, 55, played defense in the NFL and came to the Giants in 2020 as part of Joe Judge's staff. Treyer was with the Giants for five years.
After the season, co-owner John Mara criticized several aspects of the 2024 Giants, and seemed particularly frustrated with the defense, saying, “I don't think the defense played very well at all this year.'' I'm tired of it.'' We're watching teams run up and down the field towards us. ”
Some interpreted this to mean that Mr. Bowen's job security was tenuous, but that is not the case.
Many of the Giants' players had a hard time adjusting to Bowen's defensive approach, which deviated from Martindale's blitz-heavy, more offensive scheme. Cornerbacks who were used to Martindale's play-man coverage had to adapt to playing more zone under Bowen.
The Giants allowed 210.6 passing yards per game, the eighth-lowest total passing yards in the NFL, but much of that was due to opponents focusing on the run against the Giants. Their run defense was 27th in the league.
