'Passionate' Brian Daboll Has Some Sideline Regrets

Daboll addressed his sideline demeanor.

Brian Daboll proved to be an immediate difference-maker for the New York Giants upon arriving as the franchise's head coach. He oversaw a turnaround season in 2022 that included a 9-7-1 record and a road playoff win over the Minnesota Vikings. His second year was slightly less successful as New York stumbled to a 6-11 record. Along the way, Daboll was involved in some sideline confrontations with his players and coaches that immediately went viral.

The 48-year-old was asked about his on-field demeanor while speaking to reporters on Tuesday at the NFL owners meetings in Orlando and admitted he may have taken things a bit too far on occasion.

“Every year, there’s a self evaluation process that goes on. I’m a very passionate person. But yeah, there are times where I wish handled things a little bit differently, certainly. So you continue to grow. You continue to evolve. That’s what I try to do every year,” Daboll said.

“I’m passionate about winning. I’m passionate about our team. When we lose, I’m very passionate. So my focus always is: What can I do better? How can I be a better coach? How can I be a better leader?”

One of Daboll's bosses also weighed in on the issue.

"There are times where I wish he would tone it down a little bit," Giants owner John Mara said Monday. "But I'm also in the team meetings, and I see how he acts around people and his coaches in the office. He always maintains his cool there. Does he get excitable during the games sometimes? Yeah, so do I. I don't think it's a major issue."

New York has had a busy offseason in the coaching department and will enter the 2024 season with a number of new assistants. In many ways it will be a fresh start. Daboll will have a chance to be more like the version of himself that won the NFL Coach of the Year award in 2022, not the one who went viral repeatedly a year later.

Time will tell.

Kyle Koster is an editor for The Big Lead.