Six Potential Candidates to Replace Wink Martindale as Giants Defensive Coordinator
The New York Giants will begin the offseason by looking for a new defensive coordinator after reports surfaced that Wink Martindale is planning to resign from the team. There had been rumors for months about tension between Martindale and head coach Brian Daboll, but after their Week 18 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, Daboll said he expected Martindale back.
Predicting who will replace a coordinator is never easy, but there are multiple candidates that Daboll and the Giants could look to hire. Here is a list of six that make sense.
Former Bills DC Leslie Frazier
Leslie Frazier is the easy hire for the newly vacant coordinator spot. Frazier was the defensive coordinator of the Buffalo Bills from 2017 through 2022 before resigning last offseason and taking the 2023 season off.
Frazier’s defensive philosophies are about as far from Martindale’s as possible. Still, he’s also been very open about the idea that building a defense around his personnel is his job.
Frazier’s Bills’ defenses were at the top of the NFL during the latter half of his tenure, and given the current personnel for the Giants, he would be a rather seamless fit schematically. Personally, Frazier is the guy that should get the first call.
Daboll has experience being on staff with Frazier in Buffalo. Frazier is widely considered an elite defensive mind and is available immediately.
Giants DL Coach Andre Patterson
When a coach is fired or resigns, the first thought is to look internally because an internal promotion is usually a solid way to smooth over any tension in the locker room from players who might be upset about the departure. Still, it’s also a way to try and ensure continuity in the defensive system.
If the hire is internal, defensive line coach Andre Patterson could be a favorite to land the job. Patterson’s unit has performed exceptionally well since he arrived in 2022, not just because of elite talent. Patterson helped Dexter Lawrence take the next step to solidify himself as one of the best interior defensive linemen in the NFL.
Experience-wise, Patterson was the Vikings co-defensive coordinator during the 2020 and 2021 seasons before coming to the Giants with Daboll in 2022.
Giants DB Coach Jerome Henderson
The next best internal hire would be defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson. Henderson has been a coach in the NFL for over 15 years and was a passing game coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons defense from 2016-2019.
The Giants' secondary has had its bright spots, but given the youth and constantly rotating personnel, it’s difficult to evaluate Henderson's success.
Eagles DC Sean Desai
There’s no direct connection between Daboll and current Eagles defensive coordinator Sean Desai, but it’s reasonable to believe Desai may be looking for a new job this offseason. Desai was hired to replace Jonathan Gannon, who went on to be the Arizona Cardinals head coach but had defensive play-calling duties taken away from him and given to Matt Patricia.
Desai is a practitioner of the Vic Fangio-style defense that’s unique and modern but difficult to install because everyone must always work as a cohesive unit. The Giants already have foundations to function with that scheme on the roster, so it could be a quicker transition.
Bills AHC/DL Coach Eric Washington
Washington has been climbing up the ranks for the Bills year over year since arriving in 2020 after he was let go with the rest of the Carolina Panthers staff following the 2019 season. After spending seven years as a defensive line coach, Washington was the Panthers' defensive coordinator for the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
The curious situation here would be how Washington would look to fill out his staff under him. Most names mentioned already are currently on the Giants staff, unemployed, or expected to be unemployed soon.
Raiders IHC Antonio Pierce
Pierce's return to the Raiders as their permanent head coach isn't a done deal and might not be for a while, as Raiders owner Mark Davis plans to go through the process of vetting candidates rather than make any snap decisions. In the meantime, would Pierce, the former Giants linebacker who helped the team win Super Bowl XLII in 2007, sit around and wait, or might he pursue opportunities that come his way?
Only Pierce knows what he plans to do, but in the meantime, a report has emerged quoting a source within the Giants organization that the 45-year-old Pierce would be of interest for the vacancy if not retained by the Raiders for their head coaching position.
Pierce would make a lot of sense, with him being a former player who could relate to the defensive players on a new level. The Raiders enjoyed a rebirth under Pierce, finishing the season 5-4 and in second place in the AFC West with an 8-9 record. While taking a defensive coordinator role would be a step backward for Pierce, it could also have its benefits in that he could further strengthen his case to become an NFL head coach, assuming he finds success in a defensive coordinator role.
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