Giants Head Coaching Preview: Joe Judge

The Giants outside-the-box thinking in their search for a new head coach takes them to the first of two Patriots head coaching candidates on the list this week, that being special teams coordinator and receivers coach Joe Judge.

But if the Giants want Judge, they’re going to have competition as Mississippi State, his alma mater, who is expected to interview Judge for their head coaching vacancy.

According to Scott Roussel of Football Scoop, Judge and his wife are particularly fond of their time at Mississippi State. With Judge trying to complete his Ph.D. and having never been a head coach at any level, it might make more sense for him to get his feet wet in that regard at the college level before taking on an NFL team.

If Judge is offered the head coaching job there, it’s hard to imagine the Giants could persuade him to take the job in East Rutherford.

Judge could also follow Josh McDaniels out the door if McDaniels leaves New England to take a head coaching position.

Why He’s an Appealing Candidate

It’s clear from Judge’s background that he takes being a teacher very seriously—he was finishing up his pursuit of his Ph.D. in education this year, needing only to defend his dissertation.

Judge understands that different people learn at different rates and would no doubt direct a staff accordingly in ensuring the players learn.

And make no mistake, special teams is very much a vital component of the game, and Judge’s work with the Patriots special teams earned him praise from his current boss, Bill Belichick, in the week leading up to New England’s ill-fated Wild Card game against the Titans.

“He’s done a great job with the kicking game, and as you said, he’s expanded the role a little bit,” Belichick told reporters last week.

“That’s kind of had a little bit of a ripple effect in the way we’ve organized the kicking game, but that’s all worked out pretty efficiently. And Joe has done a great job of organizing that as well as taking on some other things with the offense, in particular, the receivers. So he’s done a great job. He’s an excellent coach.”

Why the Giants Should Look Elsewhere

Judge has only been an NFL coach for less than ten seasons. While he’s certainly been no slouch in that department given his work with the Patriots where he’s learned from the master (Bill Belichick), it’s hard to fathom this Giants team, which is in desperate need of an experienced leader, rolling the dice on a guy who has only made it to the coordinator level.

So why interview him?

Well, it can’t hurt to hear his ideas and how he would do things. But the truth is the Giants need a head coach who has been a head coach before. While Judge might have made a more appealing candidate had the Giants been at a more stable point in their franchise, it’s hard to imagine them rolling the dice on a candidate who doesn’t have multiple years of experience as a head coach and a proven track record to boot.

Key Interview Question to Ask

What can you do to command the respect of the locker room from Day 1?

It sounds like a simple question, but sometimes when a rookie head coach thinks he has the answers, he really doesn’t.

Leading a small position group is a lot different than leading an entire team. There are also too many pitfalls and experiences that a first-time NFL head coach who has no prior head coaching experience on any level can be caught off guard by.

On the Beat: Mike D'Abate, Host of LockedOn Patriots

Mike D'Abate, the host of the LockedOn Patriots podcast, provided some insight into the type of coach Patriots special teams coordinator Joe Judge might be.

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