Giants Interim Head Coach Mike Kafka Gets First Outside Coaching Interest

Kafka has not been in as much demand this hiring cycle as he was his first three off-seasons.

New York Giants interim head coach Mike Kafka before the game against the Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

It’s been a rather quiet start to the offseason for New York Giants interim head coach Mike Kafka so far.

Kafka, who over the last three years was a sought-after candidate for head coaching opportunities, had yet to receive any outside interest from teams with openings for their head coaching vacancies, which is probably due to the depth of experienced and/or accomplished head coaching candidates like John Harbaugh, Mike McCarthy, Antonio Pierce, and Vance Joseph, just to name a few.

However, Kafka, who was the very first interview the Giants brass did for their head coaching vacancy, has reportedly drawn interest from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for their vacant offensive coordinator position, which developed after head coach Todd Bowles fired Josh Grizzard from the role as part of a staff shakeup.

If hired, the 38-year-old Kafka, who spent the 2014 season on the Bucs roster as a quarterback, would be the team’s fifth offensive coordinator in as many years.

Kafka was hired as the Giants' offensive coordinator in 2022 when Brian Daboll was hired as head coach. 

Prior to coming to the Giants, Kafka was lauded for his role in helping Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes develop into one of the league’s elite signal callers.

Kafka’s tenure as the Giants' offensive coordinator was rocky, though after two seasons in the role, Daboll removed the playcalling duties from his responsibilities.

Daboll reinstated Kafka as the playcaller for this season, but when Daboll was fired after a Week 10 loss to the Chicago Bears, Kafka was named interim head coach. He led the Giants to a 2-5 record.

Although Kafka didn’t have resounding success in his seven-game audition as head coach to attract interviews, he was instrumental in the development of rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart. 

About John Harbaugh’s Falcons Interview

Earlier today, the Atlanta Falcons announced that they had interviewed former Ravens head coach John Harbaugh for their head coaching vacancy. According to the NFL Network, the interview was coducted by phone.

#Falcons’ conversation today with John Harbaugh was a virtual one with Matt Ryan and the group that’s been conducting their search. #Giants exec Chris Mara met with Harbaugh in person. It’s a process and it’s underway. Still some runway to go. https://t.co/aTOSe7cxiM

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 13, 2026

Ian O’Connor of The Athletic reported that Giants front office executive and part of the team's ownership group Chris Mara met Harbaugh for lunch Sunday and had an informal meeting at the coach’s Baltimore area home. 

Harbaugh is still expected to meet with a larger Giants contingency at some point later in the week or perhaps even next week.

The Giants have been described as very aggressive and persistent in their pursuit of the 63-year-old Harbaugh, who was fired last week by the Ravens.

What happens next with the NY Giants? Find out! Follow and like us on Facebook. Visit our YouTube channel for the latest videos. Want to send a question in for our mailbag? Send it here.