The New York Giants have fired head coach Pat Shurmur, according to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport. Shurmur had compiled a 9-23 record over the past two seasons, including a 3-9 record in the division.
Team president John Mara, in a press release, explained how he and chairman Steve Tisch came to the decision:
"Steve and I have had many extensive discussions about the state of the Giants. This morning, we made the very difficult decision that it would be in the best interest of the franchise that we relieve Pat of his duties. The last three seasons have been extremely disappointing for the organization and our fans. Pat has been a successful and highly-respected NFL coach for 21 years and he is not solely responsible for our record. But we came to the conclusion it is best to have a fresh start with the coaching staff. We very much appreciate how much Pat has done for this franchise. He is a man of character and integrity and the team has conducted itself with pride and professionalism.
"As owners, we take full responsibility for our recent poor record. It is our goal to consistently deliver high-quality football and we will do everything in our power to see that there is a rapid and substantial turnaround."
New York has been a franchise in transition over the past two years. The team parted with key veterans such as cornerback Janoris Jenkins, defensive tackle Damon Harrison, wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., safety Landon Collins and defensive end Olivier Vernon. They drafted quarterback Daniel Jones No. 6 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft, which signaled the end of the Eli Manning era as well.
The Giants' offense ranked in the bottom of the NFL in yardage and points per game this season.
Shumur joined the team after serving as tight ends coach and offensive coordinator with the Minnesota Vikings. He had previously served as offensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles and head coach of the Browns. He accumulated the exact same record in two seasons as a head coach in Cleveland as he did with the Giants.
Shurmur, 54, took over for Ben McAdoo. The next hire will be the 21st head coach in team history. Outside of Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett, there have not been any potential names linked to the Giants vacancy. CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora noted that any potential candidate may have reservations about working with general manager Dave Gettleman. For now, Gettleman remains with the organization. It was not long ago that New York was competing for the Super Bowl. The Giants are undoubtedly eager to return to the conversation.
The team is slated to draft No. 4 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft, and we laid out the team needs and picks specifically for the G-Men.
The Giants join the Washington Redskins, Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers and presumably the Dallas Cowboys in the head coaching pool.