Giants name former Cowboys HC Jason Garrett offensive coordinator

Former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett will be the new offensive coordinator of the New York Giants.

Garrett interviewed with new head coach Joe Judge and the Giants on Wednesday and was immediately offered the job. He wanted to go home to discuss it with his family.

“It was a great opportunity to sit there and talk ball and share philosophies and views on the game,” Judge said. “It’s a great system he brings with great teaching that will allow our players to go out there and play aggressively.”

Garrett was Cowboys head coach for nine seasons (2011-19). He was the team’s offensive coordinator (2007-10) when Wade Phillips was fired after a 1-7 start in 2010. Garrett was named interim head coach and led the team to a 5-3 mark for a 6-10 finish. The interim tag was removed in 2011.

The Cowboys were 85-67 with three NFC East titles under Garrett. He was let go after the team unachieved their way to an 8-8 finish and missed the playoffs. Before joining the Cowboys, Garrett spent two seasons (2005-06) with the Miami Dolphins as a quarterbacks coach.

The Giants originally requested permission to speak with Garrett regarding their head coach position because Garrett was technically still under contract before his contract ended on Tuesday. However, the Cowboys told Garrett he could speak with other teams before the end of his contract.

The Giants hired Judge before they could sit down with Garrett. Garrett would remain on the team’s radar for their offensive coordinator position. His head coaching experience (including a 13-6 record against the Giants as Cowboys head coach) made him an attractive candidate. Judge, who spent the past eight seasons with the New England Patriots as special teams coordinator/wide receivers coach, has never been a head coach on any level.

Garrett also has ties to the Giants. He spent four seasons as a backup quarterback to Kerry Collins (2000-03) after seven seasons behind Troy Aikman in Dallas. His parents. Jim and Jane, hail from Rutherford, N.J., which isn’t too far away from the Meadowlands. Jim Garrett spent four seasons on the Giants’ coaching staff, including two as the team’s defensive coordinator (1972-73).

The only other well-known candidate the Giants interviewed was Mike Shula. Shula was the team’s offensive coordinator under Pat Shurmur.

Garrett also has experience developing quarterbacks. He had success with Tony Romo early on and has been instrumental in the ascension of Dak Prescott. He will inherit an offense led by Daniel Jones, who had both eye-popping and head scratching moments during his rookie year. Jones threw for 24 touchdowns but he also threw 12 interceptions and lost 11 fumbles.

The Giants offense also has running back Saquon Barkley, tight end Evan Engram, and wide receivers Golden Tate and Sterling Shepard. In 2019, the Giants offense was ranked 23rd in total yards (5,416) and tied for 18th in points (21.3). Jones, Barkley, Engram, Tate, and Shepard didn’t play a game together in 2019 because of injury or suspension.

“I’ve known about Jason for a long time, not only through the general public as well-known as he is as the head coach of the Cowboys,” Judge said. “There were guys I worked with that I came across in my career at both Alabama and at the New England Patriots that worked with Jason through their time in Miami with him. They consistently all reflected on how smart he is, how great a teacher he is, and how his perspective of the game was through a different lens than most coaches. And when he sees it, he’s able to communicate it and paint that mental image to the players. And he does a fantastic job of making in-game adjustments.”

The Giants also named Patrick Graham defensive coordinator and Thomas McGaughey special teams coordinator.

– Curtis Rawls is a Managing Editor for Full Press Coverage and covers the NFL and the New York Giants. Please like and follow on Facebook and Twitter. Curtis can be followed on Twitter @CuRawls203.