One of the biggest stories this coming offseason around the NFL will be who will be named the next head coach of the New York Giants.
The Giants fired head coach Brian Daboll three weeks ago and replaced him with his assistant head coach and offensive coordinator, Mike Kafka. The team said they will consider Kafka for the job after a seven-game trial period this season, but general manager Joe Schoen is expected to conduct a comprehensive search for the new head coach.
Recent favorites have been former Packers and Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy, Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin, Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, and Kafka.
But a new name entered the fray: Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula, grandson of Don Shula, the winningest coach in NFL history.
The 39-year-old Shula has been on Sean McVay’s staff in Los Angeles since 2017 in various defensive assistant roles. He was elevated to coordinator in 2024. His current odds are 3-1, per several sportsbooks.
“A name that’s starting to pop up, Chris Shula, the guy who’s the defensive coordinator for the Rams,” Jay Glazer of FOX Sports said last week. “I’ll tell you this, of all the coaches Sean McVay has kind of pushed along to be the next head coach, he’s done more with Chris Shula than all of them combined. These two guys are best friends. They went to college together. But he lets him in on everything. He may not do that with everyone else, but he does that with Shula. He thinks he’s going to be a star.”
McVay is widely considered the best young head coach in the NFL. He already has one Super Bowl ring to his credit, and this year has the Rams sitting atop the NFC playoff board again. He has built an extensive NFL head coaching tree. Five current NFL head coaches have come from McVay’s staff: Kevin O’Connell (Vikings), Matt LaFleur (Packers), Zac Taylor (Bengals), Raheem Morris (Falcons), and Liam Coen (Jaguars).
Will Shula be the next? And will it come with the Giants?
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants head coaching search: Chris Shula emerges as sudden favorite
Reporting by John Fennelly, Giants Wire / Giants Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
