Why Head Coach Pat Shurmur’s Fate Has Likely Been Sealed

Regardless of what the Giants do in the final two games of the season, here is why it would be hard to envision a scenario in which head coach Pat Shurmur is retained another year.

The Giants snapped their nine-game losing streak last weekend by easily beating the Miami Dolphins 36-20. It’s entirely possible that they will win at least one of their final two games of the season.

At this point however, it should not matter whether they finish 3-13, 4-12 or even 5-11. The Giants must part ways with head coach Pat Shurmur.

Over the past two seasons, it has become abundantly clear that Shurmur does not have what it takes to be a successful NFL head coach. His play-calling has been questionable, he has consistently mismanaged the clock in late-game situations and most importantly, has won just eight games during his tenure with the Giants.

Although Shurmur has clearly proven that he can be an above-average offensive coordinator, this has not translated into being a good head coach. There are plenty of coaches that excelled as coordinators but struggled when they get the opportunity to take the next step, such as Norv Turner, Todd Bowles, and Romeo Crennel.

Legendary former Giants’ head coach Bill Parcells once famously said, “You are what your record says you are.” During the two years that Shurmur has been in East Rutherford, the Giants have been a bad football team, and their 8-22 record clearly reflects this.

That being the case, it would be very difficult for general manager Dave Gettleman, and team co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch to justify bringing Shurmur back next season.

Two years ago, Mara and Tisch made the decision to clean house, getting rid of head coach Ben McAdoo and general manager Jerry Reese four games before the season ended.

They were both fired even after the Giants had finished with an 11-5 record and made the playoffs the previous year. It’s also worth noting that the Giants were 2-10 when McAdoo and Reese were let go, while this year’s team was 2-11 after their Week 14 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Despite having decent weapons, the Giants’ offense hasn’t exactly excelled during Shurmur’s tenure. Last season, they ranked 17 in total offensive yards gained and averaged 356.1 yards per game. That number has gone down this year, as the Giants currently rank 25 in the NFL in total offensive yards gained. They’re also only averaging 319.1 yards per game. Additionally, the Giants have the second-most giveaways in the league this season.

Shurmur’s first stint as a head coach was equally unsuccessful, as he finished with a record of 9-23 in two seasons with the Cleveland Browns. To be fair to him, the Browns were a very dysfunctional organization at the time, and he didn’t have much to work with. 

While in Cleveland, Shurmur’s two starting quarterbacks were Colt McCoy and Brandon Weeden. However, the Browns ranked 29th and 25th in total offensive yards gained during his two seasons as head coach, and if there is a positive to come of Shurmur’s time in Cleveland, it’s that he lasted slightly longer than most coaches have with that franchise.

When Shurmur was hired nearly two years ago to lead the Giants, he had just come off of a very successful season as the offensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings. Quarterback Case Keenum had his best year as a pro and took the Vikings to the NFC Championship game while Shurmur was his play-caller.

At a time when the Giants were going through a major transition as an organization, he seemed like a safe option. However, there is no hiding from the record and underachieving ways of this team under Shurmur’s watch.

If he isn’t retained by the Giants, Shurmur will undoubtedly get another job in the NFL as an offensive coordinator. He has proven that he can excel in this role. However, his stints with the Browns and Giants have demonstrated that he is not cut out to be a head coach in this league.

If Shurmur is indeed relieved of his duties, the next question is who might replace him. If Gettleman is retained—and he has a better chance of being kept on than does Shurmur at this point—he will likely inquire with Ron Rivera, with whom he worked in Carolina.

Other options the Giants might consider include former Green Bay Packers’ head coach Mike McCarthy, Baylor head coach Matt Rhule, maybe even San Francisco 49ers’ defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.

These are all good candidates, but given his experience, reputation as one of the NFL’s best defensive coaches and relationship with Gettleman, Rivera should be the top option.

The bottom line is that Shurmur’s departure is probably imminent, and nothing that happens over these next two games ought to have any impact on this impending decision by the Giants’ front office. It’s time for the Giants to put these last two years behind them and move on from Shurmur.