6 College Coaches Who Could Be Fits for New York Giants Head Coaching Vacancy

The New York Giants fired Brian Daboll, adding his name to the growing list of failed head coaches for the organization.

Is it time that the Giants steer clear of the beaten path and go to college for their next head coaching hire? If so, we propose the following candidates.

Ole Miss HC Lane Kiffin

Nov 1, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin looks on during the first quarter against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Ole Miss’s Lane Kiffin is the hottest name on any coaching list right now, whether that’s college or pro; everyone seems to want Lane Kiffin.

Kiffin is one of the few coaches on this list with NFL experience, having served as the Raiders' head coach from 2007-08.

Since then, he has spent his time in college as both a head coach and offensive coordinator, with the past six seasons leading Ole Miss.

There’s, of course, the easy connection between Lane Kiffin and the New York Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, who played for Kiffin in college.

Kiffin is known for his innovative offense, which relies heavily on RPOs and is regarded as one of the most quarterback-friendly offenses in the country. On a recent episode of the Colin Cowherd Podcast, there was some speculation that Kiffin might be considering leaving Ole Miss for a high-profile NFL job.

The biggest concerns I have with Kiffin and the Giants are that coaching college football players is very different from coaching professionals and that NFL rules differ from college rules.

The way the RPO works in college allows offensive linemen to go further downfield before incurring an illegal man-downfield penalty.

There are other differences, such as in the NFL, where there’s less spacing because the hashmarks are narrower, and the improved IQ of defenders makes them less susceptible to being tricked.

It’s not clear if Kiffin would actually want to leave college for the NFL right now, as he’s the hottest on the market and has a rumored contract offer for $13.5 million annually.

We’ve seen college coaches leave for the NFL because, in the NFL, you don’t need to deal with recruiting. In college, coaches are more involved in building the roster through the recruiting process.

Texas HC Steve Sarkisian

Every few years, there is a college head coach who wants to make the jump to the NFL, and it appears Steve Sarkisian is that coach right now.

In October, reports emerged that his camp was reaching out to the NFL, although those were denied. However, we know that coaches aren't always truthful.

It seems to be offensive-minded head coaches who want to transition from college to the NFL, such as Dan Mullen, who unsuccessfully attempted to do so in 2021.

Like Kiffin, Sarkisian has NFL experience as an offensive coordinator, having worked with the Atlanta Falcons from 2017 to 2018.

Unlike Kiffin, Sarkisian has never been an NFL head coach before.

It’s possible that with the expectations on Sarkisian at Texas to be a perennial national championship contender, the pressure has become too much.

Iowa State HC Matt Campbell

Iowa State Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell reacts during the fourth quarter against BYU at Jack Trice Stadium on Oct. 25, 2025, in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell's name frequently appears in nearly every coaching cycle.

Campbell has always been selective with NFL interviews.

He turned down an interview with the New York Jets in 2018 but interviewed for the Detroit Lions job in 2021, although reports are inconsistent about whether he received an offer from Detroit.

Campbell is regarded as a true CEO-type head coach who relies on his coordinators to run their systems.

One concern regarding Campbell is the volatility of his programs: often, after a great season comes an average one.

Part of that may be because he’s at Iowa State, a program without the resources of a big-name power school. Part of that may just be his inconsistency.

Campbell has been consistently praised as a “players' coach,” but that can mean different things from college to the NFL, where Campbell has no experience.

USC HC Lincoln Riley

Nov 7, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

No college football coach has put as many quarterbacks into the NFL as Lincoln Riley has over the past decade.

Riley helped turn Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Caleb Williams into Heisman Trophy winners and first-round draft picks.

Riley was an integral part of Jalen Hurts's development after he transferred from Alabama to Oklahoma.

The results are there for Riley as a quarterback developer and offensive schemer, but he’s never been able to take his team to the top.

Finding a defensive coordinator who complements Riley’s style has always been an issue for him, and he has relied on outscoring opponents instead of stopping them.

Like Campbell, Riley has no NFL experience, and the learning curve will include motivating grown men rather than college students, as well as the NFL's different offensive rules.

Washington HC Jedd Fisch

Oct 18, 2025; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Washington Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch on the sideline in the first half against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

New Jersey’s very own Jed Fisch has the most NFL experience out of any coach on this list.

Throughout his coaching career, Fisch has served as an assistant coach with Houston, Baltimore, Denver, Seattle, Jacksonville, the Rams, and New England.

That gives Fich extensive NFL experience, although he has never held a position higher than assistant offensive coordinator at the NFL level.

Fisch is known for being an offensive-minded coach who gets the most out of his quarterbacks and prefers those willing to run.

Notre Dame HC Marcus Freeman

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman celebrates after the defense scored a safety in the second half of a NCAA football game against NC State at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Notre Dame‘s Marcus Freeman is reportedly held in high regard by the Giants organization.

Freeman is one of the most highly sought-after defensive-minded coaches in college football, second only to Oregon’s Dan Lanning.

Freeman is an incredibly analytically oriented head coach and would likely bring that same mindset to the Giants.

Freeman faces the same risk as every other defensive coordinator who jumps to head coach, and that is his choice for offensive coordinator.

It’s clear that Freeman is still learning the ropes as a head coach, with early-season lapses so far, but he consistently has his team playing late into the season.

Many schools have inquired about Freeman, but so far, he has been shut down, with the assumption that he wants the Ohio State head job whenever it becomes available.

There’s no telling how that would shift if an NFL job opened up for him, but it does appear that Freeman is being selective with which jobs he entertains.

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