HOUSTON – The Giants are waiting until after the Super Bowl to make official the hiring of John Hufnagel as their new offensive coordinator.
The offense is new head coach Tom Coughlin’s, but Hufnagel will almost definitely call the plays, as it is believed Coughlin does not want to handle dual roles of head coach and play-caller. Hufnagel, 52, has been a quarterbacks coach for four different NFL teams and worked under Coughlin in Jacksonville in 2002.
Yesterday, the Giants made a surprising hiring, landing Kevin Gilbride as quarterbacks coach. Gilbride in two years (1995-96) as offensive coordinator under Coughlin helped the Jaguars become the NFL’s top-rated passing team. He was briefly the Chargers head coach, going 4-12 in 1997 and then 2-4 the next season before he was fired and replaced by June Jones. Gilbride, 52, last year was the offensive coordinator in Buffalo, fired along with head man Gregg Williams.
Gilbride was an offensive coordinator in 11 of his previous 14 NFL seasons. In his career, he helped shape the careers of quarterbacks Warren Moon and Mark Brunell and now gets a shot at Kerry Collins.
“Before I hired Kevin in Jacksonville,” Coughlin said, “I talked to Warren Moon about him and Warren was emphatic about how much Kevin meant to his career and development. He is a determined, strong personality who really excels in game planning and on game day.”
The Giants yesterday also named David Merritt, an assistant with the Jets the past three years, as defensive assistant/quality control coach.
Coughlin’s staff includes few “big name” assistants, but the Giants do not feel it’s a case of anyone getting scared off by Coughlin’s tough-edged reputation. “There’s not an appointment on this staff that didn’t earn their way on it,” GM Ernie Accorsi said.
Gilbride, a native of New Haven, Conn., was involved in one of the most infamous sideline altercations in NFL history when, as Oilers offensive coordinator back on Jan. 2, 1994, he was slugged in the jaw by defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan. The Oilers had won 11 consecutive games and were on their way to beating the Jets 24-0 when Houston quarterback Cody Carlson was sacked and fumbled, forcing the defense back on the field. Ryan, who hated Gilbride’s run-and-shoot attack (he called it “chuck-and-duck”) went over and socked Gilbride.
Afterward, Ryan called the blow “a difference in coaching philosophy in the heat of the battle.”